So
by JasoTheArtisan
Summary: As the Shinigami mission into Hueco Mundo yields unexpected returns, Soi Fon meets her match in the unlikeliest of places. But are these newcomers friends or foes, allies or harbingers?
1. Prologues

_**EDIT: I noticed that the formatting of this story had been ruined – the line breaks between scenes had vanished, making the story rather unpleasant to follow. I've gone back and fixed it, in case anyone is starting from the beginning. Enjoy!**_

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_**Prologue: Ars Moriendi**_

_What the hell happened?_

The last thing he clearly remembered was staring up at the blinding sunlight, shivering as blood spilled from his neck and chest onto the hot sand beneath him. He remembered his fight with the Shinigami kid; he remembered his _resurrección_ falling off his body in shame and embarrassment as his pride was crushed beneath the power of his opponent; he remembered being filled with rage and fear and despondency as he forced himself to attack once more, bringing him one last chance at victory.

He recalled Kurosaki Ichigo throwing his own sword to the side as he effortlessly caught his wrist. The Shinigami spoke softly to Grimmjow Jaggerjaques, his words a gentle trickle of compassion so different from the rapidity of hatred Grimmjow had seen only minutes ago. He hung his head at these words, trying to decipher the feelings churning through his chest. _You have lost, Grimmjow..._He could feel the immediate and familiar rise of contempt for his opponent at the mere concept of this kid pitying him. _…I don't know about you being a king…_Grimmjow could also sense the rusty emotion of respect for Ichigo, for this fighter who was fueled by love rather than rage_. ...but becoming a king by yourself…_And, almost completely eclipsed by these two other emotions, Grimmjow could feel the longing for a companion, for someone to talk to, for someone to help him off the ground when he's down._…where's the happiness in that?_

Perhaps for someone to love him, even when he fails.

The sudden realization that he was even considering himself weak brought a wave of rage to his mind with the ferocity of a great and dark tempest. Despite his opponent's mercy towards him, Ichigo looking in his eyes, pleading for him to stop, the anger won over Grimmjow Jaggerjaques and he yanked his arm out of the Shinigami's gentle grip.

"Don't you fuck with me, you bastard!" Grimmjow roared as he stepped back, preparing to attack once more. He would kill this kid. He would tear him in half with his bare hands. _Nobody takes pity on Grimmjow Jaggerjaques and lives_. He rushed forward with his sword, relishing the look of surprise and disappointment and fear on his opponent's face. He didn't care about serving Aizen and he didn't give a fuck about protecting _Las Noches._All he wanted to do was bring Kurosaki Ichigo down to his bloody knees.

Yet despite Ichigo's shock at the sudden attack, in spite of the Shinigami's zanpakuto being ten feet away, and despite the enormous killing intent held in his sword, Grimmjow was the one left on the ground, blood pouring from his body.

He landed on his back, eyes swimming in their sockets as he tried to focus on his new attacker. When his eyes finally forced themselves to focus, he was completely stupefied to see that his downfall had been brought by his immediate superior, the Espada Nnoitra Jiruga.

"Nnoitra," he wheezed, blood beginning to gather in his throat. "You bastard."

"Sorry to interrupt but—" Grimmjow began to lose the words his former comrade was speaking towards his. Everything was growing hazy. He vaguely recalled the young Shinigami, who he had only moments ago tried to skewer with his zanpakuto, leaping to save him as Nnoitra's enormous blade came swinging down to end his life; he vaguely remembered the sounds of battle and pain around him as his eyes closed on the hot, yet illusionary, desert sun above him. He barely noticed when everything became dark and quiet around him, his breaths becoming shallow as he choked on his own blood, the wind ripping cruelly over his lonely, dying body.

_What the hell happened?_

He had to ask this question to himself again as his eyes struggled to re-open, to stay focused. He heard the faint beeping of electronic equipment somewhere far away. Or was it right next to him?_Where am I?_ There were sounds of someone screaming in agony the distance, sounds of someone vomiting, sounds that seemed dredged up from the pits of hell. Grimmjow began shivering as he realized he had no idea where he was or how he got out of the desert. _This isn't Las Noches,_he managed to think before his head started to spin and his vision began to grow dark. His eyelids fluttered as he lost all concept of the world around him, the strange room, and his unexplainable survival.

Horrific pains suddenly shot through his stomach, spreading upwards to his chest, and lower into his groin. It felt as if someone had poured acid into the hollow-hole in his abdomen, allowing it the entrance it needed to spread itself throughout his body. He shook and wretched against the pain, only to find that his wrists and ankles were strapped down to the operating table on which he currently found himself. _What the fuck is going on?_His mind screamed out. He tried to yell, but began choking on the tubes that were shoved down his throat and nostrils. Another wave of fire coursed through his veins, causing his body to throw itself backwards against the table with a sickening and metallic thud.

_Somebody help me!_

After a few minutes, passing like several agonizing hours to Grimmjow, the venom racing through his body slowed and finally subsided. He lay on the table, chest rising and falling heavily as he attempted to catch his breath. Blood began to slip from various orifices in his body; his face was adorned with red lines coming from his eyes and nose; his ears allowed the blood to fall freely from them, forming a small pool around his head. He could hear the blood begin to splatter onto the floor as it slid across the table and cascaded downward. As he came to the sickening realization that the majority of the blood on the table was escaping from his hollow-hole, his eyes betrayed him and once more rolled backwards into his head. He fought to keep them open, but they continued to struggle against him.

The last thing he saw before he once again retreated into the darkness was a pair of golden eyes sitting atop a maniacally large smile.

_**Prologue: Waves of Blood**_

She strode through the streets of Seireitei with one single purpose: she needed to get home.

The burials had been long, but the ceremony afterwards had been even longer. She consistently found herself floating between conversations with captains and lieutenants, kidou corp. members and unranked shinigami. She never said much but, of course, that went unnoticed. She had a strong reputation based upon her silence. Yet on top of her normal speechlessness, and for this she was admittedly grateful, a solemn occasion such as the burial of war heroes omitted anyone from the necessity of conversation. Besides, as captain of the second division, as well as commander of the secret mobile operations, Soi Fon had more to worry about than making small talk at a funeral.

The war against Aizen Sousuke and his army of Arrancar was at a temporary cease-fire.

When the former captain of the fifth division made his move to create the King's key by way of destroying Karakura town, one of Soul Society's strategic strongholds in the real-world, the Gotei 13 met him there with every intention of bringing his head back with them. Yet in spite of the information they had gathered on the Arrancar, the captains of Soul Society had greatly underestimated the power of the top three Espada.

The _Fracción,_a select few Arrancar handpicked by each of the Espada to act as their immediate subordinates, were dealt with rather swiftly. With the exception of Madarame Ikkaku, every battle against the _Fracción_was won swiftly and decisively. When the Espada stepped in, however, the overwhelming difference between their abilities and those of their fellow Arrancar became painfully clear.

In the middle of the battle, Soi Fon could feel the reiatsu of her fellow shinigami vanish one by one. Ukitake Juushiro was seized by a coughing fit during his fight with one of the Espada, Stark, and was forced to drop his guard. The Arrancar used this opportunity to place his sword through the chest of the sick captain. His was the last casket to be placed into the ground today.

Hitsugaya Toshirou, captain of the tenth division, suffered a near fatal blow from Halibel, the only female among the Espada, and is currently in critical condition at the fourth division's medical facility. This genuinely saddened Soi Fon, as she has always held a soft spot for the white-haired captain. She took up the space against Halibel as Hitsugaya fell to the ground, his lieutenant immediately following him. She was not so lucky as to escape with her life.

As Soi Fon walked home from the funerals, the list of the dead and injured continued to race through her mind: Captain Kommamura Sajin, of the seventh division, critical condition; Lieutenant Iba Tetsuzaemon, also of the seventh, deceased. Third-seat Madarame Ikkaku and fifth-seat Ayasegawa Yumichika, both of the eleventh division, hospitalized. Captain Hitsugaya Toshirou and Lieutenant Matsumoto Rangiku, both of the tenth division, injured and deceased, respectively. Captain Ukitake Juushiro, of the thirteenth division, deceased. Lieutenant Oomaeda Marechiyo, her own lieutenant from the second division, was in critical condition and did not look as if he would make it through the night.

Despite their numerous casualties and Aizen's obvious advantage, a retreat was called by his army. Soi Fon was in the middle of a vigorous duel with Halibel when it happened. She had just landed a blow with her Suzumebachi on the female Arrancar, and about to finish her with a second when the _negación_field erupted from the sky. She jumped back just in time to be missed by the harsh yellow column of light, her eyes widened in shock and anger and disbelief. She looked around the battlefield, seeing four other _negación_fields, swallowing up the three Espada and extinguishing the flames of the Captain-commander's Ryuujin Jakka to reclaim the three traitorous ex-captains.

The skies were darkening with enormous thunderclouds as Soi Fon approached her unit. Trying to avoid eye contact with any of her squad members that were outside the division, she stopped as a warm voice called out to her from behind her.

"Captain Soi Fon, I would like to speak with you for a moment."

Soi Fon turned around, looking for her addresser. She immediately tensed as she saw Captain Unohana Retsu. _It's not her fault,_she said to herself as her fellow captainapproached, as she gritted her teeth. And it really wasn't. The Captain-commander had ordered four captains, including Captain Unohana, to go to Hueco Mundo to aid the ryoka's mission to rescue the human girl. But when Aizen left his palace to attack the real world, he sealed off the _garganta_the captains had usedto enter Hueco Mundo. _But if you had only been there,_Soi Fon thought as Unohana reached her outside of the second division's barracks. _If you had only been at the battle, maybe some of our captains wouldn't be lying in a hospital bed._

_Or in the ground._

"Captain Unohana," Soi Fon said in a calm voice that did not belie the seething anger she felt under her skin. "What would you care to discuss?"

Unohana smiled warmly at Soi Fon. "I just wanted to let you know that Captain Hitsugaya is in stable condition and should make a full recovery. We can expect him at the captain's meeting tomorrow morning."

Soi Fon was very relieved to hear this news. Ever since the ryoka invasion, she and Toshirou had maintained a very low key friendship that few people knew about. Unohana Retsu was one of these people. But both captains had a sort of 'loner' image they were trying to uphold, so Unohana did little to acknowledge the relationship. "I assumed you would appreciate the update on your—" she stumbled slightly. "_Our_ fellow captain."

Soi Fon exhaled a small sigh of relief. "Thank you for the news, Captain Unohana. I am looking forward to seeing him tomorrow."

Soi Fon began to turn to go back to her division when the female captain called her name again. Soi Fon inhaled sharply at the sound of Unohana's voice, knowing that this would not be more good news. She turned, seeing Unohana looking at the ground.

"Lieutenant Oomaeda's condition has worsened. Despite our best efforts, the lacerations he received on his neck and chest were too severe and allowed too much blood loss. We do not foresee him living through the night." She only then made eye contact. "I am truly sorry, Captain Soi Fon."

Soi Fon did not hate her lieutenant. In fact, she genuinely enjoyed his company, despite the way she treated him in public. Oomaeda Marechiyo had always made her laugh with his upper-class naivety and oafish sense of humor. On top of that, he was an extremely capable second in command in both the thirteen protection squads and in his secret mobile operations unit. She felt a small tremor in her lower lip, as well as a lump form in her throat.

"If you'll excuse me, Captain Unohana," Soi Fon managed to say without revealing her extreme sorrow at this news. "It looks as though it will be raining soon, so I will take my leave." She turned away from her fellow female captain, not even looking over her shoulder as she continued.

"I recommend you do the same."

A small hell butterfly fluttered up to the other captain, who immediately strode off towards the fourth division. Soi Fon knew what the message had been; her lieutenant had died. She walked slowly into her division, hoping to make it to her room before her feelings caught up with her.

Soi Fon entered her quarters and began to disrobe herself from the formal clothing she had worn to the ceremony. She let the clothes fall to the ground as she stepped into the flowing water of her shower. The scalding water left red streaks along her fair skin as it raced down her body toward the drain. She made no movements in the shower, no effort to clean herself, no attempt to evenly distribute the hot water over her body. She simply stood naked in the shower, silently mourning the loss of her companions.

_I miss Yoruichi,_she thought to herself. _I really wish I could talk to her right now. She always knew how to make me feel better._

_Where are you?_

The captain of the second division, finally away from all eyes and alone in her shower, began to cry. "Why do you always have to leave me, Yoruichi? Why am I never good enough for you to stay?" she found herself asking aloud, between the silent sobs that wracked her body. She hadn't felt this alone since Yoruichi first left, over a hundred years ago. Back then, she had spent a lot of time in this same exact position; her silently crying as the hot water of her shower fell over her. She clenched her jaw at that thought. _I am not as weak as I was back then. I don't need her. I don't need anyone. I've been alone for this long, I can handle being alone. I don't need anyone's love._

_Even though_, she thought sadly, _it would be nice to have._

Tomorrow she would wake up, and attend the captain's meeting, even if she was afraid to step foot into such an empty room; so many faces missing, so many faces that were gone forever. But her responsibilities as a captain of the thirteen protection squads mandated that she would appear, the need to grieve for the lost expected to be finished by the end of tonight.

So Soi Fon stood in her shower, inviting the pain of the hot water, wishing it would wash her away.


	2. Delìrivm Còrdia

_**Delìrivm Còrdia**_

A harsh light flickered on and off through Grimmjow's eyelids, drudging him up from the depths of unconsciousness. As his eyes slowly blinked themselves awake, his body took it upon itself to remind him of the aches and pains caused by yesterday's misadventures. He sat up, groaning as his back began a slight spasm at the sudden movement. He had never felt so exhausted in his entire life; it felt almost as though all of his reiatsu had been drained from him and was only now slowly returning. Grimmjow's eyes, finally growing accustomed to the harsh florescent light that flickered atop this room, began to survey his new surroundings.

The room he found himself occupying was completely white, save for the bars that blocked in the windows around the room. _Bars,_ he thought to himself, _so I must be a captive? What the hell happened? Was Aizen killed? Is the war over? Is anyone else alive? _

He really didn't care either way, but he was certain he did not want to be stuck in a shinigami prison. If that was where he currently resided, at least. The room looked more to Grimmjow like a hospital room than a prison cell, even if there were bars over the windows.

Grimmjow's thoughts were interrupted as he heard the door to his room being unlocked. He glanced around the room on an impulse, looking for something to use as a weapon. He soon realized that his ankles had been chained to the wall, making any effort to move three feet from his current location futile. Realizing this, he focused his attention on the opening door, curious as to who was coming to investigate his the door creaked slowly open, Grimmjow got a look at his captor.

And if had he spent more time learning about the captains of the Gotei 13, he would have realized that having this man as his caregiver did not bode well for him.

"Ohh," the shinigami exhaled in subtle excitement. "It seems my new test subject has awakened on its own." The man, who wore a white coat and had his face painted in black and white, tittered softly to himself as he approached Grimmjow. "I am truly glad to see you made it through the night, Arrancar. Truly, truly, truly. I am not sure how your fellow Espada are holding up after the injections I administered this morning. Losing any of you would have put me in a wretched mood."

_Fellow Espada? _Grimmjow's thoughts raced over who they could possibly be, over whom he thought could have survived, while, outwardly, his face remained the definition of calm. His cold, sky blue eyes were doing equally as little to betray his thoughts as he kept them trained on the man in front of him.

"Now then, Arrancar," the shinigami in front of him began. "I have learned very much from my mistakes at the expense of your acquaintance in the other room. As I'm sure you've noticed, when the Arrancar are rendered unconscious due to outside stimulus, such as the anesthesia I had injected you with last night, your spirit energy is all but crushed." The man had been preparing an injection while talking. He now held the needle up to the light, displaying an icy blue fluid inside of the syringe. Seeing his captor flick the needle while pressing the plunger, squirting out a thin stream of blue while removing the air from the liquid inside the chamber, Grimmjow began to grow a little uneasy. He shifted on his bed, causing the shackles on his feet to clatter against the tiled floor. The shinigami snapped his head around toward Grimmjow, golden eyes shining with a strange mixture of agitation and excitement.

"My, my" he continued, tittering once more. "I had no idea I was boring you enough to cause such restlessness. Allow me to sum this up a tad more swiftly for you. As I stated earlier, an Arrancar, after the administration of certain forms of anesthesia, will become completely useless for anywhere around six to eight hours. This happens to be an unacceptable side effect. My research requires that, within the time span of one hour, I question my test subjects to see what effects, if any, this procedure has on the mind of an Arrancar. Of course, the only way around such an obstacle would be to keep the Arrancar conscious throughout the experiment so that it would be easier for him to recover within the allotted hour." He looked at Grimmjow, flashing an intensely discomforting grin as he approached with the needle in his hand.

"Get the fuck away from me, shinigami!" Grimmjow yelled, finally breaking his silence. The last thing he wanted was to be operated on by a crazed scientist while he was still awake. That notion did not seem like a very pleasant one to him. "I swear if you poke me with that needle, I'll turn you fucking inside out!"

The scientist looked slightly taken aback by Grimmjow's sudden outburst. "Why on earth would I inject you with this serum?" He looked at the Arrancar, his left eye slowly drifting upward from the center of the socket, the right doing performing the exact opposite motion. "This needle in my hand contains a simple placebo I have used to effectively distract you, Grimmjow Jaggerjaques."

Grimmjow's eyes widened in rage at the madman's statement when he felt a small prick on the back of his arm. He whirled around to find a small robotic arm had swung out of the wall to stick him with another needle.

_What the fuck?! _

Grimmjow found himself truly terrified for the first time in his entire existence. He turned to the shinigami, but found his movements stiff and sluggish. He tried to reach out, perhaps to strangle the man before the drug took complete control of him, but his arms wouldn't move.

_Oh shit. Oh fuck. Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck. This is not good. This can't… oh holy shit._

The shinigami before him began tittering again. "I am extremely pleased to see that I have created a truly effective formula for the paralysis of Espada-level Arrancar," he said taking Grimmjow by the shoulders and laying him down on the hospital bed. "It would seem you've become extremely useful to us already, Arrancar. Don't worry. You have a lot more talking to do, so I will try my hardest to keep your initial organ structure intact." The scientist grabbed a scalpel and lowered it to Grimmjow's hollow-hole.

"Now, let Kurotsuchi Mayuri see what makes you tick."

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Grimmjow stared up at the white ceiling, staring at the same spot he had been for the past two hours while Mayuri had been operating on his very awake body. He heard the door click open but did not turn to see who would enter. A chair was pulled up next to his bed as a soft and monotonous voice spoke to him.

"How are you feeling?"

Grimmjow, completely floored by the innocuous question, decided turning his head toward the newcomer might actually be worth his time. A female shinigami, adorned in the typical robes but wearing a western-styled short skirt in place of her hakama, was sitting in the chair next to him. She still looked at him as if answering her absurd question was the most natural thing in the world.

"If you have not yet to regained the ability to speak, I shall return every fifteen minutes until you—"

"I can speak, woman." Grimmjow's hoarse voice slipped into the conversation.

"That is a wonderful sign, Arrancar. How are you feeling?"

He couldn't help but chuckle as he answered.

"I feel fucking horrible, you stupid bitch. That Mayuri fucker just spent two hours playing around inside my guts and I could feel every second of it. How the fuck am I supposed to feel after that?"

"I see," she responded, seemingly unaware of either his complaints or his insults. "Are you experiencing any lightheadedness or loss of vision?"

"Are you fucking serious, lady?"

"Are you experiencing any lightheadedness or loss of vision?" she repeated in that same monotonous voice.

Seeing that playing on this woman's sympathies wouldn't get him anywhere, he decided to simply answer the questions and get it over with. He tilted his head so he was again facing the wall as he answered.

"No."

"Any loss of feeling in your extremities?"

"No."

"Are you feeling overly tired or drained of spiritual power, not stemming from the shackles you are currently wearing?"

"No," he turned his head toward her from the wall, a trickle of fear slipping into his voice. "Wait, should I be?"

"Considering the procedure, it wouldn't be entirely unsurprising." She stood and replaced the chair from where she'd taken it. "I have no more questions for you, Arrancar. My captain has instructed me to leave you under my care until he returns from the captain's meeting. Your fate will be decided when he returns."

"Sounds thrilling," he scoffed as she began to walk away. He hoped that maybe he would be able to sleep; he was extremely exhausted after the waking surgery he'd just experienced. But Grimmjow found himself wondering who the other Espada was. Which one of his comrades was also a shinigami prisoner, being subjected to extreme tortures like the one he just went through?

Who was the person in the other room that made his feeling of loneliness and despair less overwhelming?

"Wait," he called out to her. She turned to acknowledge his request. He felt strange asking this question aloud, making himself seem dependant on the answer, that he would truly care.

But the fact was that he did. He really needed to know.

"Who are the other Espada you took captive?"

Kurotsuchi Nemu looked down at the pad of paper she had been carrying with her.

"Only one of the other Espada has been able to identify himself, and that would be the former quarto Espada, Ulquiorra Schiffer," she said as she left the room, locking the door behind her as she went.

Despite the pain it caused his stomach, Grimmjow couldn't help but chuckle.

_At least that little fucker is going through this shit too._

_-----------------_

_**Author's Note:**_

_each chapter shares its name with the name of a song that i happen to think goes well with what happens in the chapter, whether because of the mood of the song or simply the fact that it has a fitting name. sometimes i'll get lucky and it'll be both._

_anyway, i forgot to include the ones for chapter one, so here they are, along with this chapter's if anyone's interested:_

_**Ars Moriendi - Mr. Bungle / Waves of Blood - Secret Chiefs 3**_

_**Delìrivm Còrdia - Fantômas**_


	3. A Different Drum

_**A Different Drum**_

Soi Fon hesitated slightly as she approached the room. She was afraid of the loneliness that would be undoubtedly overwhelming, the silent sorrow that could suffocate anyone in there. _I know that I've lost someone important to me, but he was simply a friend._She thought to herself as her hand reached out to open the door. _But how can any of us justify ourselves for our losses?_

_Especially to him?_

She finally found the strength to open the door to the office of the tenth division and was hit with a wave of air cold enough to make her teeth chatter almost immediately. Hitsugaya Toshirou was standing at the window, gazing out at all of Seireitei but seeing none of it. He had left his captain's robe draped over the chair at his desk, and his shirt was left open, revealing the blood stained bandages that enveloped his upper body. He did not turn to greet Soi Fon, but she did not expect him to. He had lost someone who was very dear to him in this war, someone that had saved his life.

Matsumoto Rangiku had found Toshirou in Rukongai when he was just a boy. Noticing the enormous spiritual energy he would exude unconsciously, and the danger he posed to his grandmother when he would unknowingly cause the temperatures to drop while he slept, Matsumoto encouraged the young prodigy to join the ranks of the shinigami. When Hitsugaya climbed the ranks of the academy and became the youngest captain in the history of Soul Society, he made sure that his 'big sister' Matsumoto had a place by his side as his lieutenant.

A rank she held until she died by his side in battle.

Soi Fon walked quietly up to the young captain, wanting to comfort him but not knowing the right way. When she was standing next to him, her thin body shaking at the temperature drop caused by the grief of her friend, he turned and looked in her silver eyes.

"Soi Fon, I—" he began, as tears swelled in his eyes. "I miss her so much, Soi. I can't believe that she's gone. I keep looking over at the couch were she would sleep, and I keep wanting her to be there. I keep expecting her to just pop up and… and…"

He embraced her then, his body shaking as he silently wept in her arms. Soi Fon was momentarily taken aback; Toshirou had never shown this sort of weakness to her before. He had never allowed himself to seem so vulnerable. She embraced him back with complete sincerity, holding on to him as if he would float away if she were to let go.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked after they had pulled away.

"Yes," she replied, her own eyes slightly red from the embrace. "Toshirou, are _you_ready? I know that the Captain-commander expects all of us to be at the meeting, but I am certain he would show some leniency on you if you were to not attend."

Hitsugaya sniffled and let out a small chuckle. "I'm lucky enough to be able to attend, Soi. I don't want to leave my spot in the room open if I don't have to." He began placing his captain's robe on, wincing as the wound over his chest reminded him of how fresh it was. "Besides," he said, flashing Soi Fon a weak and tired smirk. "I hear that we are in for a surprise today,"

_Surprise?_

_

* * *

_

The captain's hall was the emptiest that Soi Fon had ever seen it. The vacant spots left by Gin, Aizen, and Tousen already made the hall seem empty on a day to day basis. But with the continued hospitalization of Captain Komamura leaving and open spot in the line at the seventh division, and the death of Captain Ukitake in the thirteenth, the total number of captains was almost completely halved. And then, of course, some of the captains were only at the meeting in body, not mind. Soi Fon looked over at Captain Kyoraku, noticing that his eyes were glossy with tears being held in by strong willpower. She was actually surprised to see him there; after seeing Juushiro, the man who Kyoraku Shunsui had befriended hundreds of years ago, fall to his death, _nobody_really assumed that he would be at the meeting.

Captain-commander Yamamoto went through the typical motions of a meeting: addressing new strategies on fighting the Espada, budgetary constraints, and the eventual replacement of the squad members no longer among them. He then surprised everyone by allowing Captain Mayuri to take the floor.

"Before I left _Las Noches,_" he began, stepping out from his respective spot in line. "My lieutenant and I made a number of interesting discoveries. We stumbled upon the laboratory of Szayel-Aporro Granz, the former Octa Espada and head of Hueco Mundo's science department. While a gifted scientist in his own right, his research was limited and showed a great deal of sloppiness. This made rummaging through and deciphering the labels in his laboratory, even for someone as brilliant as myself, more tedious than it shou—"

"Can you hurry this up, you creepy freakin' nutjob?" the always elegant Captain Zaraki interjected. "We don't have all day to listen to you stroke your ego."

"You keep quiet, you idiotic beast!" Mayuri replied, jabbing an excessively long fingernail toward his verbal rival.

Soi Fon sighed at the budding argument; Kurotsuchi Mayuri and Zaraki Kenpachi could always turn every meeting into a shouting contest, Kenpachi usually insulting Mayuri's odd habits and Mayuri retorting by calling Zaraki some sort of brutishly degrading name. She was hoping that Yamamoto would step in soon; he was the only person in the room that could derail these two without getting dragged into the argument themselves. _Hell, even the ever-calm Kuchiki Byakuya can get dragged into the fray._

Almost as if on cue, Byakuya began to speak to the other captains in his typical emotionless voice. Soi Fon began to zone out the voices, her mind drifting as she glanced over the captains in attendance.

Unohana Retsu stood silently in her place, hands together, eyes closed. Soi Fon could no longer find it in her heart to blame the captain of the fourth division; she had reasoned with herself that had she been able to, Unohana would have been on the battlefield in Karakura Town. She had lost a long-time friend in Ukitake Juushiro as well. And according to some quiet, sake-laden circles, she had lost a long-time lover as well. _If that were true_, Soi Fon thought, _Retsu was certainly hiding her grief well._

Captain Byakuya had seceded from the argument already; his head was tilted downward, looking as though he was patiently waiting for the Captain-commander to call an end to the verbal sparring. Soi Fon found herself wondering about the bandages he had on his left arm and leg. When the team that was dispatched to Hueco Mundo returned, none of them had even spoken about the events that transpired there, much less how they acquired any specific injuries. So wrapped up in the loss of her fellow shinigami, Soi Fon had never really noticed how the four captains assigned to attack _Las Noches_did not talk about their time spent in the enemy stronghold. She began to hope Mayuri would explain this. If he ever stopped bickering with Zaraki.

Captain Kyoraku was still staring blankly at a spot on the floor. His shoulders were slumped, his hat was doing the best it could to cover his face, and his pink haori was slung lazily over one shoulder. Soi Fon felt very sorry for him, but at least he has his lieutenant Ise Nanao to comfort him at night. _Again with the rumors,_she snapped at herself. _People just assume whatever they hear when they've been out drinking. Like Nanao would ever lower herself to that, anyway._

Soi Fon found herself smiling, even if it was almost unnoticeable, for the first time all day.

Three loud bangs, compliments of the Captain-commander's cane hitting the wooden floor, brought her back from her musings on the other captains.

"Captain Zaraki! Captain Kurotsuchi!" he said gruffly. "I would truly appreciate your cooperation during this meeting. When Captain Kurotsuchi has finished making the announcement I have asked him to make, and you both have filled out the reports on your missions in Hueco Mundo, you may resume your debate if either of you so feel the desire."

_They haven't even filled out their reports yet?_Soi Fon thought, shocked at the concept. She had to have her report written on the battle of Karakura before the funerals the day after. _What happened in the hollow world that would require such an extensive delay in paperwork? What went wrong? What are we keeping a secret?_

"As I was saying," Mayuri continued, slightly agitated. "The research discovered gave valuable insight to the anatomy and physiology of the Arrancar, as well as information on the abilities we had not yet seen with them."

"Did the research mention anything about Aizen's plans?" Toshiro questioned the scientist, taking the question right out of Soi Fon's mouth. It sounded as if his interest was just a piqued as Soi Fon's. "He called a retreat despite the fact that he was winning the battle over Karakura. Maybe something in the lab could explain why he did that?"

"Unfortunately, no. Nothing in the lab held accounts of Aizen's next move against us. But we did gain an extensive understanding on how the _garganta_ work. We discovered that the versions of the_garganta_that Urahara Kisuke had developed were vastly different from the ones that the Arrancar use to travel from world to world. The kind that we shinigami were using would not allow an Espada-level Arrancar to pass through."

"And what does learning to open a different form of the _garganta _do to help us, Captain Mayuri?" Soi Fon asked.

Kurotsuchi Mayuri's mouth opened to reveal his large and infamously unnerving smile.

"How else were we supposed to bring our Espada prisoners back with us?"

* * *

Soi Fon strode quickly toward her division, completely dumbfounded at how the rest of the meeting had gone.

Mayuri's proclamation of having three of the Espada, three of Aizen's top soldiers, as captives sent those captains unaware of this into shock. Even Shunsui seemed to join the conversation for the first time since the meeting had started at the mention of this. In fact he was the first to break the stunned silence.

"Which ones?"

Mayuri visibly inflated at the chance to divulge more information about his prized test subjects. "Well, after discovering this difference in the _garganta,_ I decided to capture Szayel-Aporro whom I'd had…" Mayuri paused, looking for the right word. "Incapacitated.

"After a quick rendezvous with Captains Unohana and Kuchiki, we stumbled upon the unconscious body of the former Sexta Espada, Grimmjow Jaggerjaques, who had been defeated earlier by the shinigami representative Kurosaki Ichigo." Mayuri furrowed his brow before continuing. "And if it weren't for Captain Zaraki's insatiable bloodlust, we could also have imprisoned the Quinta Espada, Nnoitra Jiruga."

The captain of the eleventh division looked almost sheepish at the comment. "He kept askin' for it," the captain said in earnest.

"Who was the third to be captured?" Soi Fon asked, curious as to where all this was going. Considering she was leader of the secret mobile operations, and one of her duties was to oversee the imprisonment and punishment of criminals, she would like to know if these three dangerous Arrancar would soon become her immediate responsibility.

"The former Quarta Espada, Ulquiorra Schiffer. He had been left in charge of _Las Noches_while Aizen was in Karakura Town and lost in a battle to Kurosaki Ichigo and the human girl Inoue Orihime.

"The three Espada are currently residing in my laboratory, but I have performed all the tests I wish to upon them. While I did discover a formidable anesthesia we can use against the Arrancar, I no longer have any real use for them. I believe what we need now is information. I recommend that each Arrancar is placed in the care of the captain best suited for their…" Mayuri was again searching for the words he was looking for. "… required styles of interrogation."

"Interrogation?" Captain Kuchiki practically spat the word out. "What makes one captain better than another at gaining information from what I would assume are iron-jawed soldiers?"

"That isn't quite what he is suggesting, Captain Kuchiki," Soi Fon interrupted. "As he mentioned, certain captains have certain ways of gaining information that another captain would not have considered." _Like beating the information out of them,_was a thought she did not verbalize.

"Like beating it out of them," Captain Zaraki said, seemingly reading Soi Fon's mind.

Byakuya glared at Zaraki. "Are you truly suggesting that we—"

Soi Fon began to zone out as Zaraki and Byakuya began arguing 'the honorifics one should display to war criminals' against the fact that 'they wouldn't show your rich-boy ass the same kind of mercy'. She glanced over at Toshirou who rolled his eyes, seemingly having read her mind.

When the argument had subsided, The Captain-commander decided to elect three captains to take over the care and interrogating of the three Espada. Mayuri asked to keep the former eighth, Szayel-Aporro Granz, as he felt he was the most able to get inside the head of the science-minded Arrancar. With that request granted, Mayuri was dismissed so that he could make the arrangements to have the other two Espada relocated to their new locations of imprisonment.

Captain Kyoraku was nominated to care for Ulquiorra, but respectfully declined. "I'm sorry, Ol' Yama. I just don't know if I have the time on my hands." And with that Shunsui, rather unceremoniously, dismissed himself from the room. Any other time and the Captain-commander would have lashed out at him, but everyone in the room knew that the time Kyoraku Shunsui need was for grieving. Yamamoto watched him leave, silently and sadly.

Toshirou, to Soi Fon's surprise, immediately stepped into the void and offered to watch over the former fourth Espada. Yamamoto accepted the offer and Hitsugaya Toshirou was dismissed, leaving Captains Zaraki, Kuchiki, Unohana, and herself to watch over the notoriously hot-blooded Grimmjow Jaggerjaques. Zaraki immediately stepped forward.

"I'll do it," he said, his large and wicked smirk stretching across his face.

"I would highly advise against that, sir," Byakuya interjected, stepping between Zaraki and the Captain-commander. "Having captain Zaraki attempt to interrogate the Espada with a bloodlust that could rival his own could be disastrous." Zaraki glared at Byakuya who continued speaking, seemingly unaware of the fiery gaze directed at him. "As a matter of fact, allowing any of the Arrancar to step foot into the eleventh division would be a mistake."

"I'll take the Espada," Soi Fon volunteered, if only to prevent a third argument from breaking out in the hall. "My division contains the secret mobile unit and is already well equipped to handle the dangers and responsibilities of a possibly lethal captive."

"Thank you, Captain Soi Fon. You are dismissed from the meeting."

Now that she found herself outside her division, Soi Fon found herself wondering if she made the right decision in taking the responsibility of the former Espada. Hell, she wondered if Yamamoto had made the right call allowing any of them to take them in. Mayuri was a mad man; the heavens only know what the captive Arrancar have been put through already. And Toshirou; she still remembered the sorrow and rage she had felt in him earlier that morning. Would he kill the Espada if given even the slightest provocation?

She wondered that about herself as she slipped quietly into her quarters. She really did miss Marechiyo; what would happen if this Grimmjow were to say something about him? Would she have the control to prevent herself from reaching out and crushing his windpipe with her bare hands?

She certainly hoped so.

A knock on the door brought her out of her thoughts. She slid the panel open to reveal that her addresser was Kira Izuru, lieutenant of the third division.

"Captain Soi Fon," he said, respectfully dipping his head as he spoke. "I was passing by the twelfth division earlier and saw that they are making preparations to move the captive Espada here. Captain Kurotsuchi asked that I inform you that you should be prepared for his arrival within one hour."

"Thank you, lieutenant Kira," Soi Fon said, looking the blonde-haired youth sternly in the eyes. "Yet I did not know that the capture of the three Espada was such common knowledge already?"

Kira's eyes quickly darted back and forth as she asked the question. "Lieutenant Nemu and I were…" he paused, looking over his shoulder for a moment. "We were having lunch together when Captain Kurotsuchi returned… uh, early… from the meeting. She told me what had happened while she was in Hueco Mundo."

"That is quite out of character for Nemu, lieutenant. Usually she does not have such a loose tongue."

Kira's mouth upturned slightly in a sheepish smirk, but then returned to its usual state of no expression. His eyes fearfully widened, however, as he realized he accidentally admitted to his relations with the captain of the twelfth division's daughter. Soi Fon couldn't help but smile warmly at Kira's obvious discomfort.

"Thank you for informing me, Lieutenant Kira. I hope that the information we discussed here will remain confidential?"

"Uhm. Yes, of course Captain Soi Fon. Thank you," Kira mumbled and hurried off as Soi Fon slid the door closed behind him.

_Kira and Nemu?_She thought and chuckled. _How come nobody has sake-talk about _that _one?_

_

* * *

_

_**Author's Note:**_

_i'm having a blast writing these chapters and i hope those of you reading them are at least enjoying them._

_actually, feel free to drop me a review. that would be stellar._

_oh yeah, the music. feel fre to check most of these songs out. a lot of them are good writing music. for the most part._

_**A Different Drum - Peter Gabriel**_


	4. The Augurs of Spring

_**The Augurs of Spring**_

"So he kicked your ass, too?"

Handcuffed and shackled, Grimmjow found himself standing next to his former compatriot and nemesis, Ulquiorra Schiffer, as they waited to be transported to different divisions in Seireitei.

_Jeez. _Grimmjow thought as he looked Ulquiorra over. _He looks worse than I feel. I guess that Mayuri guy wasn't kidding when he said he was afraid Ulquiorra wouldn't make it._

"I was attacked from behind by that human woman. It would seem that her offensive capabilities had far exceeded my expectations," the former fourth Espada said monotonously, his juniper-colored eyes staring straight ahead as he addressed Grimmjow.

"Sounds like you're makin' excuses, Ulquiorra," Grimmjow chuckled. "I fought the kid too, if you remember. There's something about him, something that allows him to overcome great odds to pull out a victory at the last second." Grimmjow looked over at the shorter Arrancar standing next to him. "Ya don't need to be ashamed that he beat you." _Wait, what? Did I really just fuckin' say that?_

"You seem to have forgotten the difference in our abilities, Grimmjow," Ulquiorra said, a tinge of venom seething through his otherwise featureless voice. "Had we fought one on one, Kurosaki Ichigo would be laying dead in the sands of Hueco Mundo like the trash that he is."

Grimmjow rolled his eyes. "Yeah, whatever you prick."

They stood silently for a minute as they observed the hurried bustle of shinigami preparing their relocations. _Interrogations, huh? I wonder what a shinigami interrogation consists of? I hope they aren't anything like the ones that Aizen gave. That would suck._He looked over at Ulquiorra again as he thought. _Damn that emotionless bastard. I wish I could at least see if he was nervous about any of this. God knows I am._

Surprisingly, it was Ulquiorra who broke the silence.

"Grimmjow," he spoke quietly, seemingly afraid that anyone would overhear him. "How much do you know?"

"Are you serious?" Grimmjow scoffed. "Aizen barely liked me enough to keep me as an Espada; do you really think he would sit down and have a strategies chit-chat with me? Shit, as far as I knew, we weren't invading the real world until winter. I only found out about the attack on Karakura a day before it happened 'cuz I overheard Aaroniero and Zommari talkin' about it."

Ulquiorra nodded but remained silent.

"Why? How much do you know?" Grimmjow eventually asked, equally as quiet as Ulquiorra had been when he had asked. He knew it was a stupid question; Aizen told Ulquiorra Schiffer everything.

"I knew that the human woman was a distraction; I knew that Aizen was preparing to attack Karakura Town while Soul Society sent a rescue party; and I knew that once the battle began to turn in Aizen's favor, he would call a retreat." Ulquiorra looked at Grimmjow then, his brow slightly less furrowed than normal. "But I have no idea why. That Aizen would not tell me."

Ulquiorra's breathing became a bit heavier, and he looked dead ahead, concentrating on an imaginary spot on the door in front of them. _What's with him? Is he truly upset that he didn't know Aizen's entire plan? I knew he was a freakin' lap dog, but this is ridiculous._

Ulquiorra slowly, hesitantly, set his gaze upon Grimmjow, trembling slightly as he spoke. "I'm afraid, Grimmjow. I am truly afraid that what we have to offer will not be enough for the shinigami." Ulquiorra looked over his shoulder, back into the bowels of the Shinigami Research and Development Institute, back to where Mayuri's operating table resided. "I do not want to return to that madman only to be dissected alive again."

_Wow,_Grimmjow thought as he looked at the man he once despised. _Poor guy did not take well to the surgery, I guess. I guess those screams I heard the first night were coming from his room. At least it's that creep Szayel-Aporro stayin' with that Mayuri bastard._

The door in front of them swung open, blinding them with the first rays of sunshine they had seen in what felt like years. Four white-clad shinigami wearing masks approached and hooked a red collar around Ulquiorra's neck and began pulling him away by it.

"Oi, Ulquiorra." Grimmjow said, a slight tone of sorrow in his voice. The former Espada turned to look at his one-time rival as he was led away. Grimmjow hesitated before he spoke.

"Good luck."

Before he could respond, if he was even going to, a black bag was placed over Ulquiorra's head and he was dragged off into the heart of soul society. Another group of white-clad shinigami approached Grimmjow, one placing the collar around his neck. As the collar tightened, he felt almost all of his spiritual energy leave him. He found it hard to breathe, hard to stand, hard to even keep his eyes open.

He was being lead out the door and into the daylight when he received his own black bag.

* * *

_Interrogation? Shit, these fuckers haven't done anything but beat me up for the past hour. You figure they'd at least—_

Grimmjow's train of thought was interrupted when his vision was filled with stars as a fist plowed across his face. _Hell, that one didn't make stars,_ he thought, as his head hung, blood dripping out of his mouth and nose._Those were whole planets_.

He had walked for a while with the bag over his head before arriving in this small, dark room. He couldn't see anything, but he could overhear people snickering and talking as he was lead to his destination. _Not very discreet, are they?_he had thought as a rock was thrown at him.

Then he was thrown into a chair and chained to it before his black hood was ripped off. His eyes hadn't even been allowed time to adjust to the bright light focused on him before the first punch was thrown. When his head finally stopped spinning, he saw that he was surrounded by four large shinigami, dressed in black from head to toe, even wearing black masks to hide their faces.

"That's funny," Grimmjow said as the first bit of blood began to trickle out of his mouth. "The guys that brought me in here were wearing all white. I liked their masks better, too. I couldn't see _any_of their faces." He looked at the shinigami closest to him. "I can see your little fuckin' pig-eyes through yours."

_Okay,_ Grimmjow thought as another punch hit him in the side of the head, bringing him back to the present. _Maybe I've been provoking them. A_little. _But why stop now? Lord knows they aren't gonna._

Grimmjow was about to let loose another string of insults when the door to the room opened and a figure entered. At this person's entrance, Grimmjow's four assaulters ceased the beatings they were doling out and stood respectfully still as the figure walked closer to the light.

_Ah, shit. _Grimmjow thought at the new arrival. _This might not go well for me._

But as the person came into view, he saw that it was a thin woman, almost a full head and neck shorter than he was. Her hair was raven-black and cropped boyishly short, with the exception of two long braids that spiraled downward to almost her waist. They were wrapped in cloth and a golden ring was tied to the ends of each braid. She wore a black top with no back or sleeves, the cloth tying up at the base of her neck. Her hakama were slimmer fitting than those of other shinigami he had seen, and had a slit running from her mid-thigh to the yellow obi she wore. Grimmjow could see the fair skin of her thighs and—

_Is that a thong? _Grimmjow wondered incredulously. _At least the view has improved. At least I'll be gettin' my ass beat up by 'little miss no clothes' instead of ol' pig-eyes over there. Hell, maybe if I answer a question right she'll take off more clothes. That would make the ass kickings and the living autopsies almost worth it._

"My name is Soi Fon," she spoke with authority, bringing him out of his brief pipe-dream. "I am the captain of the second division and commander of the Secret Mobile Operations"

_Captain? This woman?_Grimmjow found himself wondering. _As well as the commander of the elite Mobile Operations?_ He remembered Aizen warning the Espada about this particular tier of Soul Society's army, making sure none of them would underestimate the members if ever encountered in battle. _This small woman is the leader of the unit that Aizen was so cautious about?_Grimmjow found himself slightly impressed by the woman standing in front of him.

But he wasn't about to admit it.

"Well it's a fuckin' pleasure to meet you, little Captainess," Grimmjow said, his lips parting in a vicious grin that was more smirk than smile. "Grimmjow Jaggerjaques, former Sexta Espada. I'd love to make this proper and shake your hand, but these fine gentlemen here seemed to figure that I'd be able to block their punches if my hands weren't chained behind my back."

The captain almost smiled at his remark. "Well, I am terribly sorry about the restraints, Grimmjow," she said in an overtly apologetic tone, blatantly feigning concern. "I trust that my associates here have not caused you _too_ much discomfort?"

Grimmjow sighed heavily and theatrically. "I feel terrible. They didn't even ask me any questions," he replied, enjoying the sarcasm dripping from her words, the witty banter no soul in _Las Noches_could ever return to him. "But, now that you mention it, I would have to honestly say no. These Secret Mobile guys couldn't throw a punch if I were to pay them. I'm starting to wonder why Aizen was so scared of your little club in the first place."

She actually chuckled this time. _Maybe this isn't going to be so bad,_Grimmjow thought. But when the captain shot a slight glance at the largest member of the group, causing the man to step forward and slug Grimmjow in the jaw, he knew that it was going to be a hellish experience. _Might as well make the best of it._

His attacker stepped away, allowing Captain Soi Fon to walk right up to Grimmjow's hanging head. She crouched down so that she was eye level with him in the chair. She was so close to him that he could smell her, the smell of her hair and sweat and a soft perfume all melding together in his nostrils. She smelled powerful. She smelled beautiful.

_She smells dangerous._

"How about that punch, Arrancar?" she asked in a low tone, her face only inches away from his, her voice husky and almost sultry. Or perhaps he was just imagining that. "Was that a _real _punch?"

He brought his head up from its hanging position and looked her dead in the eyes, his icy blue orbs meeting with her steel grey irises. She returned the stare with the same amount of silent intensity and subtle ferocity as his. They were locked into a frightening staring contest, one that neither would allow themselves to lose. Neither would break the impasse of crushing silence.

So Grimmjow Jaggerjaques smirked and spat the blood that had been filling his mouth into the face of the captain in front of him. "A punch like that," he snarled at her, "couldn't even knock me out."

Soi Fon stepped back, calmly wiped the blood and spit from her eyes and cheeks, and punched Grimmjow in the nose with a sickening crunch.

_That, _he thought as his head rolled forward onto his chest, his vision narrowing in from the sides of his eyes, _might actually do it, though._

His world grew dark and he fell into unconsciousness.

* * *

_Why is she here? Why am I not chained down? Why are we alone?_

Grimmjow's mind raced with these questions as Captain Soi Fon stood before him. They were no longer in the interrogation room, but in what looked like an office. He studied his surroundings, looking for the quickest route for escape. She began walking towards him. He stepped back, but found himself against a wall. She continued to walk up to him, until her body was only inches away from his. His eyes began to dart back and forth, realizing he had been completely cornered.

_What the hell is she doing,_he thought as she brought a hand up and grasped the jawbone on his cheek, the only piece of his broken mask that remained after his transformation into an Arrancar. He found it was extremely sensitive to her touch, and felt a strange warmth spread from his cheek onto his face and neck as she pulled his face closer to his.

"Grimmjow," she said, her grey eyes hungry, her voice ethereal. "Come to me."

Her lips pressed up against his, her tongue exploring his mouth, her body rubbing against his. She began to scratch the back of his neck with one hand as the other trailed downward toward the black sash he wore around his waist. She slid her hand inside his pants and fell backwards, pulling him to the floor.

He awoke with a start, body still strapped to the chair, blood still drying on his clothes and face. _What the fuck was that? Did I really just dream about—_

The approaching of a familiar presence snapped him away from his thoughts, an energy that was so close and dear to him was getting near, and the door to the room opening caused him to completely forget about the dream he'd just had.

Until Soi Fon walked through the door.

She approached him, hands behind her back, eyes looking sternly at him. He looked over her body, the images of the dream still fresh in his mind. He quickly looked down, eyes focusing on anything other than the small body that had just been his in his dreams. But when she pulled her hands into view, revealing a zanpakuto in a blue sheath with a zigzag hilt, everything else in the world stopped for Grimmjow.

"_Pantera_," Grimmjow urgently hissed, anger and fear and sorrow rushing through him.

His eyes quickly shot up to Soi Fon as sat the sword down on a table and pulled a chair up across from Grimmjow.

"Kurosaki Ichigo would not allow us to leave that sword in Hueco Mundo," she said as she sat down. "He said he knew how prideful you were of your strength and that we could probably use it against you." Soi Fon paused as she glanced over to the zanpakuto. "He also mentioned that you Arrancar are one with your zanpakuto, even more than we shinigami are with ours, and losing your sword would be like losing a part of yourself." She now looked at him, her silver eyes glaring harshly at his. "I plan to use this attachment to my advantage, Grimmjow."

He looked away from her, jaw tightening at the thought of his sword, his _Pantera,_being held over his head, this captain laughing at him as he leapt up to grab it.

"I want to make you an offer, Grimmjow. I want you to talk to me," she said, her voice softening enough to make her sound like a completely different person. "I want to give you _Pantera _back." Grimmjow swiftly inhaled, a quick sounding of hope and joy not usually displayed by him.

"But first I want to know what Aizen's plans are."

_How do I know she's not just toying with me? Should I really talk? What if the little I know isn't enough to earn my reward? _Grimmjow continued to stare at the wall in indifference, but a soft voice leaked out of his mouth in defiance. "I don't know much. Aizen didn't tell anyone but the top four Espada his future aspirations." He looked back at Soi Fon, hoping his eyes did not betray how deflated he felt. "And even then, Ulquiorra doesn't know why he called the retreat."

"But he did know about it?" Soi Fon asked urgently, leaning forward in her chair. "Are you certain he does not know why Aizen pulled back?"

Grimmjow rolled his eyes and looked away. "I don't know; why don't you ask him?"

"Captain Hitsugaya has taken custody of Ulquiorra Schiffer, but the Arrancar refuses to speak."

_Figures,_Grimmjow chuckled to himself. _He's real good about keepin' his mouth shut. _Grimmjow took in a breath and spoke sternly to the captain in front of him, a deliberate tinge of irritation in his voice to make him seem less desperate_._

"Well, Captain Soi Fon, I would imagine that the retreat was called for one of two reasons; either Aizen wanted time to replenish his lost forces before he returns to crush you in a flawless victory," Grimmjow returned his gaze to the captain sitting in the chair across from him. "Or the battle was simply a diversion he needed to accomplish another goal."

"How likely is that?" Soi Fon shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

Grimmjow scoffed. "It wouldn't be the first time he's tricked you that way." He looked at her, his eyes telling that he would be done talking after this. "Or the second."

She sat in the chair for a minute, hoping to call his bluff. But when he maintained his silence and continued looking off to the side in disinterest, she stood and made for the door. She picked up his zanpakuto on the way. _So she's not gonna give me my sword back. I knew it was a ruse, _he thought in disappointment. But Soi Fon stopped and turned around slowly, looking at him as though she were waiting for something else.

His gaze did not soften, but when he spoke there was a definite pleading tone in his voice. "I wish I could tell you more shinigami, but I don't know anything else. Can you do me one favor before you leave?"

"What is it Arrancar?" Her voice was impatient, but her face had softened from when she had turned around.

"Could you please unsheathe my zanpakuto? I just want to hear him."

Soi Fon looked as though this could be a trick, and took a few steps away from Grimmjow. She reticently removed the sword from its blue scabbard. Grimmjow jaw quivered slightly and a soft smile appeared on his lips at the sound of the metal being freed from its sheath. Soi Fon also smiled a little at Grimmjow, but he failed to notice. He was looking at his blade.

"This is a beautiful sword, Grimmjow. I can feel its power," she said as she re-sheathed it. "I hope that we may put it to use one day." She turned toward the door and spoke without looking back at him. "I shall arrange for you to have a meal and sleeping quarters for the evening. Tomorrow I will bring you before the Captain-commander to further discuss your arrangement in Seireitei." She reached the door and slid it open.

"Captain Soi Fon," Grimmjow said, causing her to turn her head back and look at him over her shoulder. "Thank you."

She smiled back at him and walked out the door.

* * *

_author's note:_

_please forgive me while i toot my own horn for a minute. the title of this chapter, "the augurs of spring" is taken from the second movement of igor stravinsky's "the rite of spring". historically, an augur was a fortune-teller; they would read the habits of animals and try and tell the future with this information. in the context of this story, the augurs (soul society, specifically soi fon) are trying to tell the future (aizen's plans) by watching an animal (grimmjow the panther). musically, the movement in the "rite" is as primitive and brutal as the idea of a violent interrogation, accented with irregular marcato markings and dissonant punches. this is one of the times that the name and mood of a piece of music fit so well together as a chapter title that i just had to tell you all._

_anyhoo, if any of you are still reading this a/n, next chapter will focus on soi fon and share some of her feelings on the interrogation. also, i appreciate the handful of reviews i've received but would still love more. they make me write faster, i swear. also, big shout out to my reader in estonia! i have no idea who you are but i've just discovered the "readers by country" feature and thought it was quite interesting that i have a baltic reader. see ya in a few days!_

_**The Rite of Spring, Part I: Adoration of the Earth, Movement II: The Augurs of Spring**_


	5. Beneath the Surface

_**Beneath the Surface**_

For the second time today, Soi Fon found herself standing outside a door, confused about what she would find inside.

An hour earlier her captive Arrancar, Grimmjow Jaggerjaques, had arrived in the interrogation room. She knew that he was well restrained and that four of her most capable guards were in the room with him, but something held her hand back from opening the door. _What am I so afraid of?_she thought as she stood outside the room, muffled voices flowing out from the crack underneath the door. _I know he's been restrained; I saw him come in with the collar and the chains and the bag over his head. He could barely walk and yet I'm afraid to step foot in the room with that Espada. Hell, after an hour with those four he's probably half-dead by now anyway._

The sound of flesh hitting flesh came through the door, giving her more of a reason to believe that idea. She felt a sudden boost of confidence, knowing that this was not one of the Espada that killed her lieutenant, one of the Arrancar that killed her friends. This was an imprisoned hollow that's been sedated for days and beaten for at least an hour. Even if he tries to get up, she should have no problem restraining him. Another punch sounded through the door.

_Well, I should at least get in there before he really gets killed._

She reached out to open the door when a voice called out to her. She turned to find Captain Hitsugaya walking up to where she stood.

"Captain Soi Fon," he said with a worried look on his face. "Is everything going well with your interrogations?"

_I don't know. I haven't really gone in there yet, Toshirou. _"Yes, Captain Hitsugaya. The Arrancar became aggressive and has forced my men to resort to physical restraint," she lied, hiding her shame in the fact that she requested that Grimmjow be beaten before she entered the room. "I am currently waiting for the right moment to resume questioning."

"So I assume he hasn't said anything?" Toshirou raised an eyebrow at the sounds coming from the door.

"I'm afraid nothing useful," she lied. "Have you made any progress with your prisoner?"

Hitsugaya shook his head. "No. He refuses to talk; just sits there with a blank expression and says nothing." He chuckled. "I'm glad Zaraki didn't get him. He would have become frustrated and torn the Arrancar to shreds by now. And I haven't even bothered asking Captain Kurotsuchi about his interrogation. I'm still not sure I want to know how his is going. Or even how he's going about it, for that matter."

Soi Fon laughed softly and looked back at the door. _Ok, I'm ready for this now. I need to get some information out of this guy. I need to get some answers._

"Well, thank you for the update, Captain. I'm going to re-enter and attempt to talk to him now."

"Yes, I plan on returning to my division shortly; just wanted to get out from under that Espada's oppressive silence." He turned and began to walk away. "Good luck, Soi."

"You too, Toshirou."

She opened the door and her men stood respectfully to the side, allowing her to see her captive. He was wearing the typical Arrancar outfit- white hakama and a white and black top, more western-styled than anything found in Seireitei. Despite it being torn and bloodied, it fit him perfectly, obviously a custom tailored outfit. His head was hanging forward, so the only part of his face she could see was the shock of light blue hair. Her eyes trailed down over his chest, looking at the large scar that ran diagonally up from his waist. He looked up at her then; his shockingly blue eyes that matched his hair, his rugged facial features, and the blood trickling off his face took Soi Fon by surprise. Even his mask, that jawbone that was constantly upturned in an evil smile, made her swoon a little.

_At least I'm interrogating someone who's attractive, _she thought, even as she knew it was a ludicrous thing to think. She shook her head slightly. _He's an Arrancar, an Espada. He's nothing more than a glorified hollow. Never mind how handsome he might be, he's nothing more than a monster. _Yet she still found her eyes betraying her as they drank in his body. _Better put a stop to this right now._

"My name is Soi Fon," she spoke, hopefully sounding as authoritative as possible, snapping herself out of such girlish fancies. "I am the captain of the second division and commander of the Secret Mobile Operations."

Her captive's mouth opened in a vibrant smirk, imitating the one he had on the side of his face. "Well it's a fuckin' pleasure to meet you, little Captainess. Grimmjow Jaggerjaques, former Sexta Espada. I'd love to make this proper and shake your hand, but these fine gentlemen here seemed to figure that I'd be able to block their punches if my hands weren't chained behind my back."

She found herself wanting to smile at him. Very few people in soul society could look her in the eye and be so sarcastic, so humorously disrespectful. She knew it came with the territory of being not only a captain, but commander of the Secret Mobile Operations. She knew she was feared and respected, even by some of her fellow captains. But growing up in a life where she had Yoruichi as a mentor, she preferred her interaction with other people to be far more tongue-in-cheek than it ever was, even if she never showed it. It's almost why she had elected Oomaeda as her lieutenant; he could completely ignore her status as a captain because he was from a rich family, so he had no problem treating her as his equal and joking with her. So when the Arrancar in front of her dryly snapped back, despite her position of advantage over him, she couldn't help but be pleased with her new verbal sparring partner.

But she wasn't about to show it.

"Well, I am terribly sorry about the restraints, Grimmjow," she said in an overtly apologetic tone, blatantly feigning concern. "I trust that my associates here have not caused you _too_ much discomfort?"

The man in front of her sighed loudly and let his shoulders fall. "I feel terrible. They didn't even ask me any questions." She smiled inwardly, relishing the verbal recklessness in her captive. No one in Soul Society would dare make jokes at her expense.

Especially while in the middle of an interrogation.

"But, now that you mention it," he continued, "I would have to honestly say no. These Secret Mobile guys couldn't throw a punch if I were to pay them. I'm starting to wonder why Aizen was so scared of your little club in the first place."

Soi Fon found herself chuckling at the comment. _Well, I guess this interrogation couldn't be all smiles and laughs. _She made one quick glance to the shinigami on her right who stepped forward and hit Grimmjow in the left cheek. _Time to get serious._

Soi Fon stepped up to Grimmjow and crouched down on her haunches, putting her face even with his, despite the fact that his head was still slung forward from the punch.

"How about that, Arrancar," she asked in a low tone that was soft but decisively aggressive. She almost hoped it was a little seductive. "Was _that _a real punch?"

He snapped his head up for a moment, his eyes meeting with hers. For a split second, Soi Fon, captain of the second division and commander of the Secret Mobile Operations, found herself completely lost in her prisoner. His face curved upward perfectly, muscles in his jaws flexing from the abuse they had recently received; his western appearance, so different from the majority of the populace in Seireitei, screamed out arrogance and confidence; his eyes were an electrically light blue, staring out at the world in anger and passion and defiance. And he smelled of defiance as well; he smelled of evil and compassion and pure animal ferocity.

_He smells dangerous._

She realized that she was still staring in his eyes when his mouth opened into a wicked smirk. _What is he—_was all she could think before he spit blood into her face. She stepped back, wiping the blood from her face as he spoke.

"A punch like that," he snarled, his animal ferocity infiltrating her, making her swoon and burn on the inside, "couldn't even knock me out.

She finished wiping off her face and, without so much as a second to think, Soi Fon stepped forward and planted her fist into Grimmjow's nose. She smiled in small victory as his eyes rolled into the back of his head as he slumped forward in the chair.

"Fucker," she whispered to herself as she turned to leave the room.

She had left the interrogation room to eat and clear her mind.

* * *

_What the hell was that? Why was I so helpless at his gaze, so excitable and yet utterly helpless in his presence? _She remembered how she felt as she looked into his eyes; a feeling akin to paralysis took over her, she couldn't move or think. Her whole world had become his blue eyes. _Maybe the Arrancar have a hypnosis ability we have yet to see. That would explain why the human woman they took captive tried to protect the Espada she was being held captive by. _She recalled the report of Orihime Inoue stopping Ichigo from killing Ulquiorra Schiffer, even after she had performed the sneak attack on the Espada that decisively won the battle.

She closed her eyes and began massaging her temples, but his grin flooded into her mind and her eyes flew open.

_No. It's not that,_she thought to herself in disbelief. _He is attractive, admittedly, but I'm not attracted to him. He's an enemy. He's an Arrancar, he's nothing more than a hollow. _She would have continued on like this, but a hell butterfly fluttered up to her, breaking her concentration.

"_This is a message from the Captain-commander." _Soi Fon listened intently to her orders as the Captain-commander's voice took over in the message._"Captains Hitsugaya and Soi Fon, I expect your interrogations are proving informative. I intend for the prisoners to have an audience with me by tomorrow at the latest. Be certain that they are willing to divulge information by that time."_

_Tomorrow? He truly expects us to have the Arrancar broken by that time?_ She leaned back in her chair and looked up at the light blue sky. _What does an Arrancar want? What could I use against him? How does one get into Grimmjow Jaggerjaques' head?_ She closed her eyes to the warm sunlight, seeing his face as her eyelids shut.

_Because, for some reason, he's in mine._

_

* * *

_

Soi Fon walked through her division, carrying Grimmjow's zanpakuto as she went. She could feel it in her hand; she felt the same ferocity coming from the sword as she felt when talking to its owner.

She had read the report that Captain Zaraki had given on his experiences in Hueco Mundo; she read them over, hoping that something about Kurosaki Ichigo's fight with Grimmjow would be mentioned. Nothing about the fight itself was, but as she read about the captains leaving the palace of _Las Noches_, she was rewarded.

She found herself in Captain Kurotsuchi's lab minutes later, waiting for the madman to return with the thing she needed, and trying to ignore the pink-haired Arrancar bleeding on the operating table across the room.

"My, oh my," Mayuri tittered as he came back from the separate room. "Using an Espada's zanpakuto to bribe them for answers. I would have never thought of that in a million years, Captain Soi Fon. You see, my ideas run more along the…" he looked over at Szayel-Aporro on the table, "scientific side of things. I am currently trying to create a truth serum for the Arrancar, but I'm afraid my patient's mind hasn't been too cooperative."

The former Espada did not respond. Whether from exhaustion or something far worse, Soi Fon did not know.

Mayuri held the sword out for her to take, but when she reached out for it he snatched it back, staring intently into her eyes. "Captain Soi Fon, I would be remiss if I did not ask this before I let you make a potentially fatal mistake. You do not plan on _giving _this zanpakuto to him, correct?"

Soi Fon stared icily at the crazed captain in front of her, wishing to smash in that grin with her fist as it spread across his face. "Captain Kurotsuchi," she began, holding out her hand once more. "I do not take you for a fool; I would hope that you see me in the same light. I would hate to have to alter my opinion of you so that it might equal your opinion of me." She leaned in closely and whispered her next sentence venomously to him. "Because I have no qualms with _erasing _those I see as lower than myself."

Mayuri simply tittered and handed her the sword. "My, my, my." He continued to chuckle as he turned toward a large computer. "I have work to do, Captain Soi Fon. I trust that you can let yourself out of my laboratory."

Soi Fon now found herself outside of Grimmjow's room, his zanpakuto in her hands. She hesitated for a second before sliding the door open and seeing her captive already looking at her. His eyes squinted at the intrusion of the excess light from outside the room so she quickly entered and slid the door closed behind her.

As she approached him, she saw his eyes briefly move up and down her body. She shivered slightly, not sure if he was mocking her or checking her out. And she didn't know which one she would have preferred, either. _I know how to get his eyes off of me, _she thought as she placed his zanpakuto on a table in the room.

"_Pantera," _he hissed, obviously not shy about showing his desire for the sword she had in her possession. _Pantera, _she thought. _How appropriate a name for a feral man such as him._

She could feel his eyes on her as she took up a chair and brought it across the room to sit opposite him. She looked into his eyes as she sat down, noting the look of worry and confusion in them as they shifted back and forth between her and the sword. _He even looks like a cat._

"Kurosaki Ichigo would not allow us to leave that sword in Hueco Mundo," she said, watching Grimmjow's face grimace at the name of the substitute shinigami. "He said he knew how prideful you were of your strength and that we could probably use it against you." Soi Fon paused as she glanced over to the zanpakuto. She regarded it carefully before continuing. "He also mentioned that you Arrancar are one with your zanpakuto, even more than we shinigami are with ours, and losing your sword would be like losing a part of yourself." She now looked back at him. She could see the fear in his eyes; the fear of losing this sword was all she could see in Grimmjow Jaggerjaques. _I can't believe I feel sorry for him, _she thought as she tried to steel herself, to not care about what the man in front of her wanted. She strengthened her voice and continued. "I plan to use this attachment to my advantage, Grimmjow."

He cut his head to the side and looked at the wall. She decided to soften her voice and began again. "I want to make you an offer, Grimmjow. I want you to talk to me. I want to give you _Pantera _back." Grimmjow inhaled sharply as she said this, a sign to her that she'd struck a nerve with him. She decided to drive it home and wasted no time in making her final demand.

"I want to know what Aizen's plans are."

Grimmjow continued to stare at the wall, and for a moment Soi Fon thought he was going to ignore her. She was about to ask him again when he spoke in a small voice. "I don't know much. Aizen didn't tell anyone but the top four Espada his future aspirations." He looked over to her, staring in her eyes as he spoke to her. "And even then, Ulquiorra doesn't know why he called the retreat."

_This is good,_she thought. _I was not looking forward to facing down the Captain-commander tomorrow without having gained some useful information. _"But he _did_ know about it?" Soi Fon pushed, anxiously leaning forward in her chair. "Are you certain he does not know why Aizen pulled back?"

The Arrancar across from her rolled his eyes and looked away. "I don't know; why don't you ask him?"

"Captain Hitsugaya has taken custody of Ulquiorra Schiffer, but the Arrancar refuses to speak."

Grimmjow chuckled softly and looked slightly amused at this news. He sighed and spoke to her, sounding slightly irritated as he stared into her eyes. She melted slightly as his sky blue eyes penetrated hers. As he told her the information she wanted to know, she hoped he wouldn't realize his eyes held some control over her. Fortunately he looked away as he began to speak.

"Well, Captain Soi Fon, I would imagine that the retreat was called for one of two reasons; either Aizen wanted time to replenish his lost forces before he returns to crush you in a flawless victory," he returned his gaze to her as she anxiously awaited him to continue. "Or the battle was simply a diversion he needed to accomplish another goal."

"How likely is that?" Soi Fon shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She did not like the sound of a possible sneak attack now that their forces have diminished, but she did like the information she was gaining from him. It could prove very useful.

He scoffed. "It wouldn't be the first time he's tricked you that way. Or the second."

He turned away again, and after a few moments Soi Fon decided it was for the last time. She stood and began walking out the door, scooping up his zanpakuto. She could feel his eyes on her and on the sword as she walked away. And for some reason, she could also feel his desire for the sword. Or maybe she could feel the sword in her hand's desire for him. Either way, she stopped and turned around to see him looking at her, jaw clenched and eyes burning. She raised an eyebrow as she waited for him to speak.

His gaze did not soften, but when he spoke there was a definite pleading tone in his voice. "I wish I could tell you more shinigami, but I don't know anything else" His eyes dropped before he resumed talking. "Can you do me one favor before you leave?"

"What is it Arrancar?" She tried making herself sound impatient, but could not help feeling happy at the look of relief on his face.

"Could you please unsheathe my zanpakuto? I just want to hear him."

"_You do not plan on _giving _this zanpakuto to him, correct?"_ Mayuri's voice snuck into her mind as she turned around to meet Grimmjow's request. _Of course I'm not, you crazy imbecile. But I certainly do not intend on allowing it to be taken from me. That would give you too much pleasure._

She stepped back from Grimmjow until she was certain he couldn't reach her and unsheathed the sword. She was slightly taken aback by it; no sword in Soul Society had such a unique energy, such a raw ferocity to it. It truly felt as though she were holding Grimmjow in her hands, and not his sword. She looked up at him to make sure he had not tried to escape from the shackles in an attempt to retrieve the zanpakuto, but found herself smiling at the look of innocence and joy on the Arrancar's face as he sat in the chair like a happy child. After a moment, however, she re-sheathed the blade.

"This is a beautiful sword, Grimmjow. I can feel its power. I hope that we may put it to use one day." She turned toward the door and fought the urge to look back at him. "I shall arrange for you to have a meal and sleeping quarters for the evening. Tomorrow I will bring you before the Captain-commander to further discuss your arrangement in Seireitei." She reached the door and slid it open.

"Captain Soi Fon."

His voice caught her by complete surprise. She turned around and noticed a sheepish look on his face, almost like he hadn't actually meant to call out her name. "Thank you."

She smiled warmly and walked out of the room. _You're welcome, Grimmjow._

_

* * *

_

**_author's note_**

_this chapter was pretty hard to write. not technically, but school and work and drinking kept getting in the way. i mean, if any of you have spent all day either reading 'walden' or waiting tables, you'd want to spend your nights drinking too. but i digress._

_writing from soi fon's point of view was a lot harder than i thought it was going to be. she's such a complicated and strong woman that i didn't know how to approach her attraction to grimmjow without it coming off as way too easy. it just doesn't seem like her to be like, "omg, he's a hawtie. i'm liek, sooo gonna do him!" but when i finally got the chapter done, i was quite proud of how i handled her, and even prouder of the chapter in its entirety._

_thank you guys for the sprinklings of kind words; keep 'em coming and i'll keep the chapters coming. as a matter of fact, i already have the next one basically done. let's make a deal: if i get lots and lots of good reviews, i'll put out another five chapters this week. ahh, who am i kidding? i'll put em out either way._

_i hope you enjoyed the chapter, kiddies. i'll try my best to bibbity-bobbity-boo another one with a quickness._

_jta._

**_beneath the surface - vigilante_**


	6. Crépuscule

_**Crépuscule**_

_What am I doing?_

After her interrogation with Grimmjow, Soi Fon finished some neglected paperwork, ate dinner, showered, and took up residence on the roof of her division's tallest building. She had been sitting there for three hours, just thinking.

_I don't have anyone to talk to,_she thought as she watched the late afternoon sink into twilight. _I've been terribly alone for a hundred years, and even when Yoruichi came back it was no different. And now she's back in the real world, living with… _Soi Fon felt the sting of tears at her eyes, the warm swelling in her cheeks. _With him. _She hated Urahara Kisuke with a passion; he was the reason that Yoruichi was labeled a traitor, a disgrace to the noble houses. He didn't understand what her abandoning did to the Shihouin House, what it did to the executive branch of the militia.

_Least of all, you don't know what it did to _me_, Kisuke._

While she was still steeped in grief over her beloved mentor's abandonment, the only solace she found was in the protecting of Yoruichi's good name. At least for the first few years. The head of the militia remained vacant and, as the second in command, a much younger Soi Fon became the _de-facto _leader of a group comprised of the most ruthless and efficient killers in all of Soul Society. These men had no interest in her insistence of their former leader's innocence; some of them had served under three different commanders in their respective tours of duty, and they had held no desire in preserving the memory of one fallen leader over the others.

That's when Soi Fon felt the most alone, when she would spend her nights under the hot water of her shower head, crying until she felt she could sleep. She soon kept the memory of Yoruichi to herself and focused on becoming stronger and stronger. She reasoned that as long as she was strong, she would never need anyone ever again. She reasoned that strength and solitude would easily go hand in hand.

Eventually the election for an official head of the militia was held and Soi Fon, as acting commander, was nominated by thirty of the men she had been leading for the past five years. A separate thirty elected Sakurai Takahiro, a man who had never been a fan of Soi Fon's place as a woman at the head of the militia. She had been willing to relinquish the title; she had no interest in the militia any longer. Yoruichi had been her sole reason for being there. She had heard of several captain and lieutenant spots opening in the Gotei 13 a few years back, and wanted to try her hand at being a shinigami. She was already proficient with her zanpakuto; she knew _Suzumebachi's _name already, and she knew how to make him materialize. Thus she assumed she could get at least a spot as a seated officer immediately, if not the spot of a lieutenant. But Sakurai was insistent on going through the trial of electing a new commander, so she complied.

The trial basically consisted of an anything-goes sparring match. Soi Fon, despite her reluctance to enter the ring, soon found herself dodging and blocking sword strikes with total efficiency. She did not want to end the trial quickly; this event usually only happened once every generation, so the winner should put on a show for their crowd. Otherwise the loser could find supporters to veto the ruling of the match.

Unless, of course, the loser died.

Which Soi Fon's opponent unfortunately did; once Soi Fon actually fought back, Sakurai realized that he had no chance of landing another blow on his opponent, much less attaining victory. If he had known before-hand that Soi Fon had a tendency to allow her enemies the illusion of hope, perhaps he wouldn't have given his all from the start of the match. He eventually made a cheap shot, attempting to tear off her already revealing shirt. Soi Fon didn't clearly remember doing it, but she had cried out for Suzumebachi and she plunged the stinger into her opponent's throat. As the hornet's crest flowered across the man's neck, buckets of crimson blood gushing from his mouth and throat, Soi Fon sheathed her zanpakuto; it was apparent that the second sting was unnecessary. She walked away from him victorious, not looking back at his choking body as he died.

_I wish I hadn't killed him like that, _she thought. Still on the roof, Soi Fon admired the sunset silently and alone. The orange had all but vanished from the sky, replaced by a deep red on the horizon that faded into vermilion and fuchsia and eventually disappeared into the navy blue of the night sky. _Alone, _she thought sadly. _I always seem to find myself this way._

It was almost legendary in Seireitei how Soi Fon managed to have no real friends. With the exception of Yoruichi almost a hundred years ago, and the secret friendship she currently held with Hitsugaya Toshirou, Soi Fon was only ever seen with her fellow captains and the members of her division. And even then it was usually only for shinigami related business.

There was a brief moment when she hadn't been completely alone. She'd found a casual sex partner once, in the form of one pre-lieutenant Hisagi Shuuhei. She had enjoyed their time together, but despite their small age gap, she found him too young for her. She laughed softly at the memory of the young prodigy coming to her bed for the first time, his movements awkward, his nerves palpable. It was on one of the rare occasions that Soi Fon actually attended a formal gathering that she'd met him. She still couldn't remember exactly how it had happened. He had just graduated from the academy, receiving a seated spot immediately in the ninth squad under Kaname Tousen. He had introduced himself to her earlier in the night and she had simply responded pleasantly, thinking nothing of the young graduate. But as the night progressed, and she had indulged in a few glasses of sake, she found herself more and more attracted to him; his scars, his tattoos, and his air of indignation and subtle arrogance made her feel less in control of herself, and more like a possession of his.

_Like I felt today with… _She tried to banish the thought but his name had already made its way into her mind.

_Grimmjow._

The Sun had set completely by now, but the lonely shinigami captain remained atop the roof, watching silently as stars appeared slowly in the night sky. _I wish I had someone to talk to, someone who knew the loneliness of loss, someone who didn't have anyone else. Like me. Or like Grimmjow right now. _Her eyes widened as a thought formulated in her mind. _I could go to Grimmjow. He's just as lonely as I am right now. And I haven't been touched by a man since Shuuhei… Hell, he's in a holding cell and he's a prisoner. He's _my _prisoner and…_

The more she thought about it, the more insane the thought sounded in her mind. How could she justify going down to the Arrancar's room and talking to him, much less _fucking_ him? Why was she even considering it? Sure she was lonely, but could she be lonely enough that she was planning on seeking companionship in an Arrancar? _I doubt he would talk to me in the first place, even if I did go down there. What the hell would I even say to him? _She slowly began to deflate herself, her need for a companion diminishing, her desire and lust for her prisoner dying. She sighed heavily, deciding that she would not do anything uncouth. So Soi Fon stretched out on the rooftop and watched the stars alone for another hour.

But at the end of that hour, she found herself opening the door to Grimmjow Jaggerjaques' holding cell and closing quietly it behind her.

* * *

_Oh, that felt so good ,_he thought as he put his pants back on.

Grimmjow had finally gotten a shower. After his interrogation was over, he was lead out of the empty room in which he had spent his day and was lead to a holding cell with a bed and shower. Food was brought to him before he could protest and he hungrily wolfed it down; the only things he had consumed in the past two days had consisted of sand and his own blood. In stark contrast to an ordinary hollow's hunger for souls, an Arrancarized hollow could satiate itself with ordinary food. And while Grimmjow was accustomed to the lavish meals the Espada were prepared in the kitchens of _Las Noches, _he was so hungry he would have eaten anything.

Even more sand and blood.

He then stepped into the shower, relishing the feel of the flowing water running over his aching and tired body. He scrubbed at his bright blue hair, watching as the sands of Hueco Mundo fell to the floor of the shower. He closed his eyes as he stood under the warm torrent, and began musing on his current situation.

_Only yesterday I was the Sexta Espada. I had power and pull over the majority of Aizen's forces. I could snap my fingers and whatever I desired would appear instantly before me. Food, drink, women… I was in complete control of everything._

_Now…_

His eyes shot open as Soi Fon appeared in his mind.

_Now I am a prisoner to a shinigami captain who I can't get out of my mind._

It was true; from the moment she smiled at him and left the interrogation room, his mind continued to return to her and he had no idea why. Sure he found her sexually appealing, but he had found plenty of women that. Hell, he had fucked both Loly and Menoly mere hours before he put a cero through each of them, and he not once found himself day-dreaming about either of them. _But then again, they weren't your type at all…_ He growled softly at thethought, closed his eyes again, and banished the thought of his captor. _Certainly don't need to think along those lines, especially about someone like her._

Perhaps seeing the thought as a fitting distraction, his mind arrived at when he first became an Arrancar. He used to be the sole _Fracción_of Stark, back when the latter had been the Quinta Espada. They used to be quite the duo: Stark as the docile and ever-reluctant fighter who was leading Grimmjow Jaggerjaques, the firecracker of Aizen Sousuke's army. But as Stark's power grew, so did Grimmjow's. Eventually he was welcomed into the ranks of the Espada, and the number ten had been tattooed on his neck. Grimmjow was not satisfied with the ranking, however, seeing it as the mark of the "last winner" and strived to attain a greater power. He climbed the ranks, swiftly passing Yammy, Aaroniero Arruruerie, Szayel-Aporro Granz, and Zommari Leroux. Yet despite his strength and potential, Aizen halted his progress with the number six tattooed over his right kidney. And six was where he had remained; aside from the brief respite he faced during the time between when his arm had been cut off by Tousen Kaname and when Orihime Inoue had healed it.

His fists tightened at the thought. He could care less about this whole damned war. He only followed Aizen out of gratitude for making him an Arrancar, for allowing him the ability to become infinitely stronger than he ever could have as an Adjuchas. But at the end of the day, he hated Aizen Sousuke. He hated him and Gin and Tousen and all the other Arrancar. They were all cowards, afraid to stand up to the man that created them, afraid to talk back to him, afraid to even think on their own.

He turned the shower off and stepped out to dry himself. He looked himself over in the mirror, noticing the busted lip and the black eye he had received earlier in the day. He tugged at the collar that was still around his neck. _What'd they call this fuckin' thing? _he thought, his upper lip curling into a snarl as he felt the collar draining his reiatsu. _Sekkiseki? Whatever it is, it's really starting to make me hate it._

Grimmjow stepped out into his new room. It wasn't much of an improvement in comparison to the jail cell he had been in previously, but at least there was a bed to sleep in. He looked over at it, noticing his dirty clothes that were stretched out over the bed. _Hmm. The pants aren't that bad, but the jacket is ruined. _He picked up the hakama and let his towel fall to the ground as he put them on. _I'd much rather wear my dirty clothes than the ones they left for me, _he thought, glancing at the prisoner's white robe in disdain.

He slid his shirt on, despite the fact that it was stained with blood and cut almost completely to shreds. He turned and looked out the window, admiring the sunset through the bars. He sighed, his hands in his pockets as the last rays of sun disappeared below the horizon, splashing a few last rays of color on the black night sky. He stretched out on the bed under the window and looked up at the stars, admiring the difference in the sky over Seireitei opposed to the one in Hueco Mundo. _I guess this won't be too bad a place to die,_he thought as he gazed at the constellations. _When they finally execute us, I'll just request that it be done at night. That would be lovely. _He chuckled softly at his own joke and for the next hour gave up his fight against it and allowed his mind to think about Soi Fon.

So imagine his surprise when the person who silently entered his room in the middle of the night was none other than the captain of the second division herself.

* * *

Soi Fon stepped into the room with her eyes down, avoiding Grimmjow's questioning gaze. _What am I going to say? _She thought, her eyes still transfixed on the ground. She had spent the entire walk to his cell thinking of how she would broach the subject, but now that she found herself in his room, her mouth betrayed her and she felt an uneasy swell of fear wash over her.

"Your shirt is ruined," she blurted out, and despite the truthfulness of the statement, she blushed, attempting to maintain a sense of authority in front of her captive.

"I am fully aware of that, Captain Soi Fon," he said, glancing down at himself. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your unexpected visit?" A smirk stretched across his face, leaving her weak and wanting; she had no idea how much longer she could hold herself from sexually assaulting him.

When she had left the roof, she'd convinced herself that it was for purely political reasons. She would attempt gain more information about Aizen's plans. She would try to learn about the inner workings of the Arrancar. She would improve her knowledge of the apparent social rift between the three captive Espada. She did not care what she found out; she simply needed to be in his presence again, needed to see his rugged and handsome features. And now that she was here, the only thing she could say was "_your shirt is ruined_"? She cursed herself as he looked at her, feeling her cheeks blush.

"I decided to come down to check on you one last time before I retired for the evening, Arrancar," she said, speaking harshly at his cocky attitude despite the fact that she was slowly walking towards him.

"Well," he responded, smirking capriciously, a subtle and confused look appearing in his eyes, while still maintaining a complete control over the room. "I would be more than happy to update you."

Soi Fon couldn't hold herself back after that comment; the arrogance he exuded, the ferocity he unconsciously leaked, and the power he still possessed despite the Sekkiseki made her desire for him too strong. She moved across the room, lithely and with purpose, and pushed him back down so that he was sitting on the edge of his bed. She lowered herself, pushing her body against his and kissed him. She felt him recoil slightly, and she hoped it had been in surprise, not in anger or disgust.

But he soon began returning the kiss, his mouth opening slightly and his tongue gently touching her lower lip. She opened her mouth to it, inviting the playful feeling she got as her tongue began to interact with his. She was completely on top of him now; she had pushed him backwards onto the bed, her body going with his, her smaller form writhing against him.

She sat up, breaking their kiss, positioning herself on his lap. He rose on his elbows and looked at her with an extremely confused look. They looked at each other for a few seconds, to Soi Fon seeming like an agonizing eternity. _His kisses are so different from Shuuhei's. There's so much more confidence in them, so much more passion,_she found herself thinking at a light speed pace, her heart pounding with excitement in her chest. _Does he even want me? Why did I stop kissing him?_She began doubting herself, her years of solitude coming back to haunt her, and she felt herself blushing as she sat frozen, looking into the eyes of the enemy she had just been kissing. _I think I've made a stupid decision. I should—_

"Why the blushing face, little Captainess?" he asked, interrupting her thoughts and self doubts. His face was once again split by his wide smile. "Are you embarrassed about something?" his voice held soft and gentle teasing tone to it. His eyes looked swiftly over her body and she felt herself tremble slightly. "Because you shouldn't be."

She leaned in and kissed him again, her hand rubbing over his exposed chest as she grabbed his open shirt. "And neither should you," she whispered into his ear as she began sliding his shirt over his muscular shoulders. He raised his arms up slightly, Soi Fon thought at first to aid her, but he quickly removed her from his lap and spun her around so that she was on her back and he was in front of her on the bed, kneeling. He started to remove the shirt when it ripped along the sword mark that Nnoitra had left along his left shoulder.

Soi Fon started giggling at him. The expression on his face as the shirt ripped had been wonderful; he had looked down in mild surprise but when he returned his gaze to her, it was a very sheepish look that he wore.

"I told you that shirt was ruined," she said as she leaned forward and kissed him, hoping that this slight derailment wouldn't affect his desire for her. He hungrily kissed her back, leaning into her, forcing her to lie back down on the bed.

"I never said it wasn't," he whispered back, his ruined shirt finding itself across the room before he resumed kissing her.

She reached up to the back of her neck to undo the knot that held her shirt in place, when she suddenly hesitated. _Am I really about to do this? I know that he's good looking but… he's my sworn enemy. He is who I vowed to destroy when I joined the Thirteen Protection Squads. He is a monster with a Shinigami's face._She made eye contact with him again, noticing that his blue eyes once more contained a look of confusion.

"We don't have to continue," he said softly and in earnest.

She smiled and undid the knot, allowing her shirt to fall freely to the bed. _He's not a monster,_ she thought she began undoing the black sash around his waist, kissing him the whole time.

_Besides, it's just sex._

_

* * *

_

_What the fuck just happened?_

Grimmjow was lying on his bed, Soi Fon's head on his chest as it moved up and down and they both struggled to catch their breaths. She had simply snuck into his room and fucked him. And while he wasn't really complaining, it seemed a little odd that the event had occurred at all. And throughout all of the foreplay, she seemed extremely hesitant, despite the fact that she had been the one that threw him down on the bed and kissed him.

But the moment that she had removed their hakama and crawled on top of him, she completely took control. She bit him and grinded him and kissed him and told him what to do. He had never had a partner who was as passionate as she had been. He'd never had one as controlling or bossy, either.

_That was awesome._

Soi Fon rose her head up from his chest and kissed him before she got up from the bed to find her clothes. _She even walks around the room differently than other women,_he thought, recalling the last time he'd fucked Menoly; she had slid out from the covers and hurriedly looked for her white garments on his floor, scuttling around avoiding his gaze. Soi Fon simply strode around the room, bending over to retrieve articles of clothing as she discovered them, slowly gathering her uniform. _She has nothing to be shy about anyway,_he thought as she had bent over to pick up the white underwear he had seen through her uniform for the first time earlier that day.

She shot a look at him as he watched her, a small smirk as she put her clothes on. When she was fully dressed, she came over to him and kissed him.

"Thank you," she said softly. "I needed that."

He chuckled softly. "I did too, little Captainess."

She smiled lightly and walked toward the door. "As you may recall, I'm bringing you before the Captain-commander tomorrow. If you have any information you would like to bring up that you had not previously, I will hear it now. You won't get the chance to speak tomorrow."

He was slightly taken aback by her sudden switch to that topic, and her swift change in voice. But he grinned slyly, making eye contact as he spoke. "I'm sorry. I ain't got anything else to tell you."

She looked slightly saddened as she opened the door. "Well then, Arrancar. Have a good evening. If the Captain-commander should decide not to execute you tomorrow," she said, her subtle look of sorrow vanishing as she smiled deviously at him. "Then perhaps we'll do this again." Then she left without another word. Grimmjow looked at the door, listening silently as he heard it lock and the Captain who held the keys walk slowly down the hall. He sighed and leaned back down on the bed, placing his hands behind his head. The whole night flashed through his mind again and again and he couldn't help but smile as her last words echoed in his mind: _"Perhaps we'll do this again."_

_Well,_ he thought, smiling. _At least there's that._

_

* * *

_

Soi Fon closed the door softly behind her, hoping that no one else in the division was awake. She walked down the halls to her own room, her steps soft and her movements silent. _I can't believe I just did that, _she thought, sighing happily. She really _had_ needed that; ever since the battle of Karakura town, she had felt depressed and lonely. Her quick rendezvous with Grimmjow just now had perked her up.

She arrived at her room and disrobed. She started the shower and looked herself over in the mirror. She had red marks all over her body; some were a light pink, taking shape as small nibbles and claw marks; and some were harsh red and blue bruises. _He's a biter too, _she thought and smiled. _I'm glad to see someone else likes to incorporate a little pain in sex. _She recalled that one time when she was fucking Shuuhei she had bit him. He hadn't said anything until after they were through, but he definitely had not enjoyed it. When she had bit Grimmjow however, he got visibly more excited and bit her back.

Among other things.

Soi Fon stepped into the shower and let the warm water wash his scent off of her. She sighed, thinking about the captain's meeting tomorrow, about the fate of her new fuck-buddy. _He probably won't be alive by this time tomorrow, _she sadly thought. _I can only hope that perhaps the information he's provided will at least make for a quick execution. _She turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, dried herself off, and climber into her bed.

She fell asleep curled up on her side with a pillow embraced tightly in her arms.

* * *

_**author's note**__:_

_sorry for the delay in updating this. i meant to have this bad boy out last night, but i fell asleep doing homework. this was another fun chapter to write; i am awful at writing smut, though, so you'll have to forgive when i skip over those scenes sometimes and only allude to the details._

_next chapter is gonna be a little different. i'm gonna do a four part introspective in the pov's of four other characters in seireitei that are being affected by the captain-commander upcoming decision about the fates of the arrancar. should be fun and quick to do. probably have it out by tomorrow._

_by the by, crépuscule is french for twilight. i figured it would be fitting. and the song that i took the name from is a tad sad and very fitting for the opening scenes. check it out if you have the time._

_pls be leaving me some reviews, i rather enjoy reading them. i'll start doing shout-outs if you do?_

_jta._

_**crépuscule - kaada/patton**_


	7. Ghosts

_**Ghosts I-IV**_

_**Ghosts I (Chemical Marriage) **_

The only thing he could really be happy about was that he was in the care of another madman.

Szayel-Aporro Granz had finally been allowed out of Kurotsuchi Mayuri's lab and was given a prison cell with a shower and bed. After eating and bathing, he'd sat down against the wall and mused over the past two days. Which, to him, felt like two days on top of one hundred agonizing years

Mayuri infecting him with the "superhuman" drug was a pure genius attack strategy; with the myriad of abilities _Fornicarás _had, paralysis was the only way to attain victory against him. _And the method was brilliant__, _he thought, his head leaning back against the wall. _Slowing down my body by enhancing my senses and reaction time? Pure genius. _Even while Szayel-Aporro had been on the operating table, with the demented shinigami hovering above him, cutting him open without anesthesia,he couldn't help but admire the man's brilliance.

When his paralysis had finally subsided, whether by natural means or by an antidote, he had found himself already chained to one of Mayuri's operating tables, the sounds of someone screaming filling the halls outside his room. It wasn't long until the mad scientist himself had burst into his room, tittering as he found Szayel-Aporro awake.

"You see, Espada," he began, chuckling as he spoke, his hands preparing a scalpel and syringe. "After I'd _attempted _to make sense of your horrendous notations and observations on your hollow experiments, I decided to remove my sword from your chest before it caused too much damage."

He tried to speak, only to find himself too weak to form any sound. "I did that because I had also decided that you might be of some use to handling the other two Espada we've captured." _Other Espada? _He found his mind drifting and his eyes struggling to stay open. "Oh no, no, no. You should want to be awake for this. A 'brilliant' mind such as yours should truly appreciate my new anesthesia." Mayuri plunged the needle into his neck and began the waking surgery.

And Szayel-Aporro had been impressed. He'd been impressed by everything that the crazed shinigami genius did to him. He'd even helped the captain once, though Mayuri would never admit to it. In all the experiments that he'd performed upon hollows, Szayel-Aporro Granz was indeed a genius; he could rip a hollow apart, reconstitute its internal organs, and have it walking around again within fifteen minutes. Albeit with a few minor complications, of course. So when Kurotsuchi Mayuri had yelled out his frustrations earlier that day, Szayel-Aporro had been able to interject with a bit of his extensive knowledge on the subject. After all, the test subject _was_ his arm. After a moment in which Mayuri tinkered with the new data provided to him, he spun around and left abruptly, muttering a quiet word of thanks on the way out.

He hoped that maybe his helping the mad captain would help reduce the sentences for himself and the other two Espada, whom he believed to be Grimmjow Jaggerjaques and Ulquiorra Schiffer. But his hopes were not high; Mayuri's tendency for insulting his subordinates, especially his daughter, had flowed over into the lab, bringing down a rain of pessimism upon his mind. Mayuri was convinced that the three Arrancar would be put to death by the next afternoon, and he made sure that Szayel-Aporro Granz felt the same.

The only regret he had was not being able to compare notes with his insane captor.

_**Ghosts II (Ashes to Ashes)**_

Hitsugaya Toshirou was once again on the verge of tears. He was sitting at his desk looking over at the couch where his former lieutenant would spend most of her time. Despite his tendency to yell at her, he really had enjoyed her as his lieutenant. She had the uncanny ability to cheer him up whenever something was getting to him; when they'd had that mission to the real world, after he'd talked to Momo, she'd known that he was irritable. She of course used this opportunity to exploit the crushing shyness he felt when he was around women whenever anything sexual is discussed. So even though he'd yelled at her and left angrily to go up to Orihime's roof, he was still infinitely happier than before she'd said anything.

He wished she was here now, though. How ironic that the only person that could cheer him up from this malaise was the person who's absence was causing it.

His interrogation with Ulquiorra Schiffer had been tiring as well. After hours and hours of complete silence from his captive, Toshirou had gotten frustrated and threatened to kill the Arrancar. While he was almost positive that he wouldn't have done anything, his one hand had reached up for _Hyourinamru, _and his other hand had formed a small ball of kidou. Fortunately the Espada began talking, thereby negating Hitsugaya's chances of beheading him before the execution tomorrow.

While the information that Ulquiorra had given him was vague and practically useless, he was excited to leave the room with the silent Arrancar. He immediately walked to his office and ate dinner, catching up on paperwork he'd missed as he had wasted his time in the interrogation room. He wondered if Soi Fon had had any better luck with Grimmjow, maybe that she got more information out of the much more verbose of the two Espada.

He flipped through some old paperwork and found a small picture of when he'd graduated from the academy; him looking agitated in his fresh black kimono with Hinamori Momo's arm around his shoulder and Matsumoto's large bosoms resting on his head. He chuckled lightly at the picture before he stifled back a small sob. He put the picture down, relishing and dreading the memories of two close friends he had lost forever, and began to stare at his lieutenant's favorite napping spot.

And eventually the night descended upon Seireitei, leaving Toshirou to stare blankly at the couch, wishing that Matsumoto Rangiku was still alive.

_**Ghosts III (Malocchio)**_

"This is brilliant. My, my, my. Yes, absolutely brilliant." Kurotsuchi Mayuri was talking quickly to himself, swirling a beaker of red liquid in one hand while jotting down notes with the other. As much as he hated to admit it, the Arrancar in the other room had provided key data for his experiment. "Goodness goodness, this little tidbit makes it all come together. I should tell the Captain-commander immediately; he might really want to know about this."

Mayuri really didn't care what the old man knew or wanted to know. He simply wanted to be in the captain's meeting tomorrow while praise and glory were heaped upon him.

"Nemu!" he yelled out, waiting for his daughter to appear. He turned back to his work, and after a few moments he realized that his lieutenant had yet to arrive. "Nemu! Get in here immediately, you filthy tramp!" He glared at the door waiting for her arrival. Akon passed by the door, casting a helpful look inside.

"Is there anything I can do to assist you, sir?"

"No, no," Mayuri said, his temper almost extinguished at the sight of the young man before him. Akon had been in the Shinigami Research and Development Institute for almost one hundred years; Mayuri had watched him grow from a talented young child into the brilliant bio-chemist he is today. Seeing his long time lab partner always cheered Mayuri up. Perhaps that was the reason why he has never had the desire to cut him open. "I'm looking for Lieutenant Nemu."

Akon shrugged his shoulders and placed a folder onto his desk, seemingly knowing that new data would cheer the scientist up. "That is an improved design for your extendable arm, sir. It has an increased level of dexterity, and there is more muscle accuracy when fully extended. Feel free to take a look over that when you find the time."

The man left, leaving Mayuri to excitedly look over the new prototype as he awaited his daughter. After a few moments without Nemu's appearance, he scoffed and stood up from his research. "That insufferable whore," he said in a slightly irritated sigh. "She really will be the death of me one day."

He left his division, research in tow. He knew where she was; that blonde-haired lieutenant from the third division was always sneaking in her shadow, sniffing around her like a starved dog. _I can't say much for the boy's tastes,_ he thought, smiling at his slight insult to his stupid daughter. _One of these days I'd like to catch the two of them in the act. That way I would have proof and could justify removing the boy's eyeballs. He's obviously not using them for much. _His pace slowed slightly as he passed the third division's barracks, thinking of the possible ocular surgeries he could perform on Lieutenant Kira. He sighed and continued his walk to the first division. He did not have time to confront the two, despite his morbid fantasies involving them.

He had to see the Captain-commander about his new plan for the Arrancar.

_**Ghosts IV (Valse Triste)**_

_Despite all my careful planning, she turned on me._

Ulquiorra Schiffer sat on the bed provided to him, gazing idly at the moonlight that was pouring through his window and onto the floor of his jail cell. He hadn't spoken a word throughout the majority of his interrogation, but at the last minute, after Captain Hitsugaya Toshirou threatened to forego the sentencing tomorrow and perform the execution himself, he decided to speak.

"I'm not sure what you want to hear from me," his monotonous voice came forth, causing the child-captain in front of him to freeze in shock with his mouth hanging open. Ulquiorra's deep green eyes met with Hitsugaya's teal irises before he continued. "Or what you expect to."

Visibly relieved, Captain Hitsugaya had listened to Ulquiorra tell of Aizen's plan's to the best of his knowledge. He had no idea why the white-haired child seemed so relieved at the little amount of information that was given to him, but the captain had left the interrogation room almost immediately, allowing a stream of guards to flow into the room and usher him to a jail cell that included a bed and shower. He had been fed and he showered the dried blood off of himself. When he exited the shower, he was surprised to see that his clothes had been taken and a note telling that they would be replaced by the next morning.

_Replaced? With a replica of my white jacket? Or will I receive one of those hideous black kimonos the shinigami wear? _He placed the white prisoner's robe over his shoulders and sat on his bed, not planning to move for the rest of the evening.

And up to this point, he was still making good on that.

He began thinking of his fight with Kurosaki Ichigo and how he had been blindsided by that woman. He was able to decisively overwhelm Ichigo without having to release his sealed zanpakuto; Kurosaki was still just trash, despite the power he'd attained by gaining a hollow mask. He was fast with it on, able to dodge Ulqiorra's sword strikes and green cero blasts; He was also stronger with the mask on, even able to cause the fourth Espada to bleed. But in the end, the red and white mask had shattered like porcelain under a hammer, and Ulquiorra raised his sword to kill the young shinigami.

Until a flash of orange light ripped through his chest, leaving him stunned as he fell to his knees.

He turned, looking at the red-haired girl he so admired as he fell to the ground in defeat and disbelief. He vaguely remembered her saying something to him as he hit the ground. Perhaps she had only been sorrowfully mouthing "_I'm sorry," _to him, but at the time it had felt like heartbreak. His world had steadily grown black as he bled to death on the floor of Aizen's throne room.

They had fucked each other, once. The day that she had slapped his face, he'd left her room abruptly, unsure of the emotions he had felt welling inside him. He had made a promise to her; if she did not eat by the time he returned to her room, he would hold her down and force her to eat. When he did return, finding her food untouched, he attempted to make good on that promise. He forced her down onto the large white couch in her room, her wrists bound in one hand, the food he intended to cram down her throat in the other. But then she'd looked up at him in utmost defiance, her orange eyes burning with intensity, her face glaring angrily up at him. He leaned down and kissed her then, enjoying the warmth of her living flesh against his dead lips. She eagerly returned his kiss, her tongue angrily wrestling with his. She'd made no struggle as he quickly ripped her clothes off and entered her, her body grinding against his under the crescent moon of Hueco Mundo.

Then Kurosaki Ichigo had appeared. Ulquiorra knew of the feelings Orihime held for the boy, and either out of jealousy or rage, he'd sought him out and attempted to kill him. But when Grimmjow had captured Inoue and forced her to heal the fallen shinigami, the ensuing confrontation between himself and the sixth Espada had left Ulquiorra trapped in a _Caja Negación _and therefore helpless to return her to her room.

Under his care where she belonged.

And after he'd finally broken free of the negating box Grimmjow had trapped him in, he'd only had a few brief moments alone with the human girl before Ichigo arrived. And then she'd betrayed him and almost killed him after he'd fought so well against his opponent; after he was sure victory, and Orihime Inoue, were his.

_It doesn't matter now, _he thought solemnly as his eyes closed and he lay down on the bed. _By this time tomorrow, the three of us will have been put to death and such trivial memories will be lost forever._

------------------------

_**author's note**_

_first and foremost, i would like to say gj america. we did it._

_on to other business. this was a fun little chapter to write; it gave me the chance to get in the heads of four other characters for a hot minute, and it gave you readers a look at what some of the other players in this story were up to. soi and grimmjow will be coming back in full force next chapter. i mean, they have to. the sentencing is tomorrow. not literally tomorrow; i'm getting a little sick so i might need a few days to pump out that chapter._

_reviews reviews reviews. big thanks to all of youse guys who've been reviewing and an even bigger shout-out goes to: **deathberry47 **for being the first and one of the most constants, **fourwalls **for giving a back-to-back pair of stellar reviews, and **rai-kata reese **for making me laugh._

_anyhoo, hope you kiddies liked the chapter. any nine inch nails fans out there would immediately recognize the chapter title. the section titles all come from different sources that i'll list below. srsly, bit torrent some of these songs. you'll like em, i swear._

_jta._

_**ghosts I(track 3), ghosts II(track 2), ghosts III(track 7), ghosts IV(track 1) - nine inch nails**_

_**chemical marriage - mr. bungle**_

_**ashes to ashes - david bowie**_

_**malocchio - tomahawk**_

_**valse triste (from the ballet "kuolema")- jean sibelius**_


	8. We Are the Righteous: Balance of the 19

_**We Are the Righteous (Balance of the 19)**_

Soi Fon awoke, feeling better than she had in years. She slipped out of bed and stepped into the bathroom, once more looking over her naked body in the mirror. There were still faint claw marks on her ribcage and a small purple bite-mark on her left shoulder. She bit her lower lip and smiled as she reached her hand up to touch it before turning and entering the shower.

_It's too bad I woke up late. I would have loved to fuck again before the captain's meeting, before he… _Her face dropped slightly at the thought of the man she'd gone to in the middle of the night being executed later in the day. _Oh well, _she thought as she hurriedly dried herself off, seeing as she was already running late for the captain's meeting. _What happens will happen. It's not like I would want anything serious from the Arrancar anyway. It was just sex. Simple, no strings attached, no commitment sex. Exactly what I needed._

And it was true. While her midnight encounter with Grimmjow Jaggerjaques had put her in a splendid mood, she thought little else of him as she prepared herself for the captain's meeting being held in fifteen minutes.

She thought about the questions she would answer; the first half of the meeting was a captains-only meeting, called to discuss the information given to Captain Hitsugaya, Captain Kurotsuchi and herself. After a brief discussion concerning the information and what strategies would be best suited for countering Aizen's upcoming movements, all remaining lieutenants, as well as the three Espada, would be called into the room for the sentencing of the Arrancar. The executions would be held immediately after, in the courtyards of the first division.

Soi Fon felt a small tinge of sorrow expand in her gut as she hurried to the captain's meeting room. She _did _feel bad for Grimmjow; she had seen yesterday that he wasn't an evil monster like the Arrancar had been painted out to be in the minds of soul society. He was actually a lot like most of the male shinigami she knew, if not better. But despite whatever good attributes he possessed, his association with Aizen and the Espada would be more than enough to permit his execution.

As Soi Fon approached the door to the meeting room, she breathed a sigh of relief as she saw that the doors were still open and captains and lieutenants were milling around, making early morning small-talk. Soi Fon approached them, silently examining the group as she neared.

She immediately noticed Kira and Nemu; while Nemu was standing by her father's side, and Kira was across the hall talking to Abarai Renji, the eye contact they were occasionally making was not the least bit subtle. And neither was the small hickey below Kira's right ear. Soi Fon's mind fluttered to the small mark she had on her shoulder and she couldn't help but chuckle softly. _At least I wasn't the only one making secret moves last night._

Captain Zaraki was standing next to Captain Kuchiki. Zaraki Kenpachi was moving his mouth softly and grinning, while Kuchiki Byakuya was standing as still a stone with his eyes closed. To the unobservant, it would look as though Zaraki was talking to himself while the captain next to him was in deep meditation. But upon closer examination, it became apparent that the two were quietly conversing with one another. _Ever since they were sent to retrieve Toshirou's team in the real world, those two have gotten along famously,_ Soi Fon thought, completely at a loss at the unlikely friendship that had blossomed even more after their mission to Hueco Mundo. _Unless, of course, one were to add Kurotsuchi Mayuri into the mix. Speaking of…_

She looked over at the twelfth division captain next; he was literally brimming with excitement as he paced back and forth with a stack of folders in his hands. Every now and again he would look into the folder, titter softly to himself in the creepy way that only he could, and return to quietly pacing. _What is he so excited about?_ Her eyes widened as she suddenly realized something. _Did he find out something from his Arrancar? Did the Espada he was interrogating let out vital information? _She really hoped so; she did not like the few bits of useless information that Grimmjow and Ulquiorra had provided. It made her uneasy to think that the only person in all of _Las Noches _to know Aizen's full plan was Aizen himself.

She turned to talk to Toshirou about the information he'd gathered when she noticed that he was talking with Hisagi Shuuhei. _Great, _she thought as she approached the two. While she and Hisagi had ended things on good terms, he still held a slight grudge against her that was not subtle in the least. She still wondered why no one had addressed her about the two of them yet; surely people knew that they'd come and gone, but no one had asked her about it. Well, Toshirou had spoken of it briefly to her, but she hadn't really gone into detail with him.

Just the statistics.

"Excuse me, Lieutenant Hisagi. May I talk with Captain Hitsugaya privately for a few moments?"

He looked her directly in the eye and smirked viciously. "Absolutely, Captain Soi Fon." He turned and began walking toward Renji and Kira, speaking as he went. "Don't worry. The tenth division captain and I were done talking anyway," he called back, voice dripping with sarcasm and a feigned friendliness.

She rolled her eyes and looked at Toshirou. He chuckled as he spoke to her, "We were finished, actually. I was simply killing time by talking to him."

Soi Fon laughed at her friend. She'd always admired Toshirou- the child prodigy that was calm and composed at all times, the young boy that was more mature than half of the captains currently in the room. Her chuckle died off as she straightened up, asking the question she'd come over to ask.

"I'm afraid I didn't get much out of him, Soi. I had to threaten to take his head off with _Hyourinmaru _before he would start talking. And even then, all he told me was that Aizen was using the battle at Karakura as a distraction, but even he didn't know what for. You have any better luck?"

"Not at all. That was almost a verbatim account of what I got."

He looked grim. "Is it possible that they were _instructed_ to recite those statements in the event that any of them were captured?"

Soi Fon remembered the pleading look on Grimmjow's face as he gave up the information he hadn't really known much about, simply hoping that it would garner him a glance at his own zanpakuto. "While it is possible, I think it's unlikely for two reasons: first, I'm sure Aizen wasn't expecting any of his Espada to lose their fights, much less get captured. Secondly, Aizen would have given each of them different stories to recite in an attempt to confuse us." She looked over at Mayuri, who had stopped pacing and was quietly fussing at his lieutenant about something.

"Although Captain Kurotsuchi has looked very excitable all morning," Hitsugaya said, seeming to have read Soi Fon's mind. She smiled and looked back at Toshirou, noticing the black bags under his eyes.

"Are you okay, Toshirou? You don't look like you got very much sleep last night," she said with concern.

The small captain was about to respond when the Captain-commander began pounding his cane onto the floor, signaling for all of the captains to enter. Toshirou simply smiled up at her and walked ahead, taking up his respective position in the two lines of captains.

* * *

The meeting, for the most part, went exactly as she'd expected it to.

Hitsugaya was called up to the front first and he recited the account Ulquiorra Schiffer had given to him, carefully omitting the detail of threatening to decapitate the prisoner.

"I trust all of this has been documented in the reports, Captain Hitsugaya?" The Captain-commander replied gruffly after Toshirou finished speaking.

"Yes sir."

"Then I thank you for the information you've retrieved. You may resume your position in line." Toshirou stepped back into his place in between Captain Kyoraku and the still giddy Captain Kurotsuchi. He sighed in relief and tossed her a friendly wink. While she could see he wasn't nervous in giving his report, it's always a relief to get out from under Yamamoto's stare.

"Captain Soi Fon, step forward please."

The Captain-commander's voice caught her off guard, shaking her out of her train of thought. She stepped forward and began to give her report.

"Yesterday, I interrogated the former sixth Espada, Grimmjow Jaggerjaques. Unfortunately, my questioning yielded much the same response from my prisoner as Captain Hitsugaya's." The group around her grumbled in disappointment; she knew they had been displeased with Toshirou's results and had been hoping for more from her. "The Arrancar denied any knowledge about further advances of Aizen Sousuke's forces," she continued. "While the similarities in their replies bring to mind the possibility of a programmed response, Captain Hitsugaya and I have already discussed this scenario and have arrived at the conclusion that it is highly unlikely given the evidence we've assimilated. Furthermore—"

"That's horseshit!" Zaraki Kenpachi blurted out, interrupting her. "I wouldn't trust those three goons as far as I could throw 'em."

Captain Unohana interjected as well. "I must agree with captain Zaraki. How are you going to assume they aren't attempting to deceive us in the same breath you used to say their attack on Karakura town was a distraction?"

Soi Fon felt the situation slipping out of her hands. "I doubt," captain Kuchiki thankfully interjected, "that Aizen would have two of his top soldiers recite the same information in the event that they were held captive. He knows that we assume he is always working on a 'plan c'; why would he eliminate one of our options? If anything, Aizen seems like the type who would instruct his prisoners to kill themselves before relinquishing any sort of information to the enemy."

"That makes sense, Byakuya," Captain Kyoraku responded, far more lively that he was yesterday. "But why would Aizen have them tell us nothing? So that we would argue over how complicated his plans might be?" The entire room grew silent at his words. "He's probably planning an attack on Karakura town, and he's probably going to do it soon. We need to stop worrying about what we think these three Arrancar know; they've already told us that the last battle was a distraction. He probably doesn't expect us to be ready, and he certainly doesn't want us to have any time to prepare for the next one."

"A very valid point, Captain Kyoraku," Yamamoto said, breaking the silence that had seemed to settle over everyone in the room.

"Why thank you, Ol' Yama," Shunsui said, flashing a wide and friendly grin. "You know how I try."

"While this is a great possibility," Soi Fon spoke up, as she was still standing in the center of the room, "we cannot prepare for another full-scale battle so soon. We would run the risk of wasting resources or, even worse, leaving Soul Society unguarded. The last thing we need is to have Aizen put us in one place, only to attack another."

"Then what do you suggest we do, small fry?" Zaraki asked her from across the room, his exposed eye regarding her as an imbecile.

"We send out a small group of strong fighters," Toshirou piped up finally, helping her out from under Kenpachi's intense glare. "Not unlike the one I lead a few months ago."

"And what happens when Aizen shows up in Karakura town with his replenished army?" Zaraki jabbed at the young captain. "I don't care how strong the five people you bring with you are, ten Espada would kick your asses all the way down to hell."

"Soul Society would be on standby," Soi Fon tagged in, she and Toshirou both trying to keep the whole of the Gotei 13 from occupying Karakura again. "If any trouble were to arise in the material world, the remaining captains would be ready to depart at a moment's notice, and the same would go for the team in Karakura."

"Not to mention the aide receivable in the human forces, the representative shinigami Kurosaki Ichigo, as well as Urahara Kisuke and Shihouin Yoruichi." Toshiro wrapped up the argument, no one noticing as Soi Fon grimaced at the last two names.

"Very well then," the Captain-commander said, nodding in satisfaction. "Captain Hitsugaya and Captain Soi Fon, seeing as the two of you are so adamant about this course of action, I elect the two of you to lead the party into the real world. See me at the end of the meeting and we'll discuss your instructions."

"Yes, sir!" they both said, bowing their heads slightly as they responded.

_Damn it. I didn't want to _lead _the party; I just wanted to make sure we didn't do anything rash. _Soi Fon looked over at Toshirou and could see in his eyes that he was having the same reaction to what just occurred as she was.

"Sasakibe," Yamamoto called out, his lieutenant materializing out of a flash-step before him. "Please allow the rest of the lieutenants into the room. Make sure that the captive Arrancar are well restrained and have them escorted in as well." His lieutenant vanished again.

"We will soon begin the second half of the meeting."

* * *

Grimmjow couldn't complain about his day so far.

He'd woken up, the scent of Soi Fon still on his body, his mind relaxed from the sex he'd had the night before. He got up slowly, groaning as his muscles protesting his sudden movement. He walked off to the shower and entered. It was only after he'd stepped into the hot running water that he'd noticed the four deep claw-marks running down the left side of his chest. _Ouch, _he thought, chuckling to himself. _What a great fuckin' way to wake up._

Admittedly, he was disappointed about the execution. Not because he was going to die; he was ready to die. He had been ready to die after Nnoitra Jiruga had blind-sided him in _Las Noches._He was disappointed that he would not get the chance to sleep with Soi Fon again. _Maybe I can ask for an extension. "Hey, Mr. Shinigami? Can I just get one more night to live so that I can fuck one of your illustrious captains again before I go out?"_

He stepped out of the shower to find that his Arrancar uniform had either been repaired or replaced; he didn't care which, but he was ecstatic that he did not need to wear the shinigami uniform, or worse yet, that way too small white robe he'd avoided last night. _I wonder if the other guys got their uniforms replaced as well. Or is this one of the added perks of fucking a captain of the Gotei 13? _Again, he didn't care which of the reason it was behind the uniform replacement; he was just happy that he got to wear _his _clothes to his execution.

He hadn't waited long before the four white-clad guards appeared before him, attached the leashes to his collar, and placed the white bag over his head.

* * *

The lieutenants had all filed in, taking a spot behind their respective captains. Soi Fon found that she was a little nervous about the upcoming sentencing. She knew what the outcome would be; they had just proposed an attack against Aizen, so any form of letting these prisoners live would be unacceptable. Even as prisoners of war, the three Arrancar would be useless. She didn't think Aizen was the type to negotiate.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice the door to the meeting room swing open. She only realized that the three prisoners, bags still over their heads, were being brought in at the sound in the rest of the room; some of the lieutenants, like Kotetsu Isane and Kira Izuru, were whispering negative thoughts to one another. Some of the lieutenants were less subtle in voicing their opinions, such as Renji and Yachiru.

The trio was walked past the row of shinigami and made to stand in the front of the room, facing their audience. This placed Grimmjow two yards away from Soi Fon. She noticed that all three of the Arrancar had received new uniforms, Grimmjow looking stunning in his crisp white jacket.

The bags were removed from their heads by the escorts, and Soi Fon had to suppress a giggle as Grimmjow, once again, blinked in cat-like confusion at his new surroundings and the crowd of people glaring at him with angry faces. Then he looked at her, his surprise in seeing her so close to him undeniable. She smiled and lightly bit her lower lip. He smirked and tilted his head down, allowing his eyes to focus on the ground his smile quickly fading.

Yamamoto pounded his cane into the wooden floor, attempting to gain the attention of the seventeen shinigami in front of him. A calm eventually settled over the crowd, but it was a very tenuous and uneasy silence.

"Before anyone speaks, I would like to call Captain Kurotsuchi Mayuri to the floor."

The captain, adorned with his black and white face paint, stepped out from his spot in the twin lines and approached the three Arrancar. Soi Fon noticed the smallest of the three, Ulquiorra Schiffer, shrink back slightly at the sight of Mayuri. He approached all three of them, looking each one in the face; the pink-haired Espada, Szayel-Aporro, looked back at Mayuri with a smirk and a level of understanding in his eyes; Ulquiorra, in the middle of the two, trembled slightly, but otherwise remained expressionless; Grimmjow, the last in line, was looking off to the side in indifference, attempting to pick one of his teeth with his tongue. Mayuri then turned to the group of shinigami and flashed an enormous and frightening grin.

"Within the time these Arrancar came into my care days ago," Mayuri began, walking up and down the aisle, assuring that everyone in the room was watching him, "until early this morning, I'd been doing experiment after experiment on the anatomy and physiology of the Arrancar. I have discovered a great many things in that forty-three hour span."

"Too bad you didn't learn how to talk fast, you nutjob," Zaraki interrupted, glaring and grinning at his verbal sparring partner.

Mayuri simply smiled at him and tittered. "Any other day, Captain Zaraki. Any other day and I would gladly return the volley by calling you an imbecilic ox. But today, I'm in too good a mood." Zaraki's grin dropped slightly as he searched his brain, Soi Fon could only assume, for the definitions of the words 'imbecilic' and possibly 'volley'. A quick and silent chuckle came from Grimmjow, bringing a smile to her lips.

"As I was saying," he continued, obviously proud of derailing Kenpachi. "I have developed dozens of effective poisons and paralysis-inducing serums that work on only our Arrancar enemies.

"I have also discovered," he paused and looked at the pink-haired Espada behind him, sighing as he continued, "with a small amount of assistance from the scientific mind located in one of the former Espada behind me, the source of an Arrancar's power."

The room quietly erupted into a dozen soft murmurs and questions. Mayuri grinned ever wider, standing in the middle of the hall, drinking in the noise and confusion and attention. _As much as I hate to say it, _Soi Fon thought as she watched Mayuri, _I'm starting to agree with Kenpachi. Could you hurry this up, you creepy bastard?_

"What do you mean by the source of their power?" Ise Nanao inquired, stepping forward slightly to address her fellow shinigami. "Are you saying we can permanently extinguish the powers of an Arrancarized hollow?"

"Fantastic question, lieutenant. Yes, yes, yes." Mayuri chuckled, loving the chance to put his brilliance on display. "No, I'm afraid we cannot. But I have devised a more useful plan. While we cannot permanently rid an Arrancar of their spiritual power," he paused, obviously for effect.

"We can control it."

The room sat in silence at his words. Soi Fon was eventually the one to speak up.

"Control it how? Like a captain's limit release?"

"Exactly like that, but on a grander scale! If given one more day, I can implant a small device into the hollow-holes of these Arrancar and then their power would be completely in our control. We could allow them their full range of abilities, or we could leave them as helpless as an infant."

Soi Fon had perked up at the idea of having one more day with Grimmjow. She looked at him hoping to catch his eye, but he was completely transfixed by Mayuri. _I guess he didn't like that whole "helpless as an infant" comment. Can't say I blame him._

"And what does this do for us?" Hisagi asked from down the room.

"I shall answer that question, Captain Kurotsuchi," Yamamoto interjected, visibly deflating the scientist. "I hold a proposition to all of you shinigami in here. The Gotei 13 has never been in such dire shape in all the time I've been here; there is an army of extremely dangerous opponents out there, currently being led by three former captains; our forces have dwindled to half of what they should be; and we have no real intelligence on the inner workings of Aizen's army."

"I, Yamamoto-Genryuusai Shigekuni, Captain-commander of the thirteen protection squads for the past two-thousand years, propose to you that we attempt to fully integrate these Arrancar into the Gotei 13."

_What the fuck?_

_

* * *

_

_What the fuck?_

Grimmjow quickly glanced at his fellow Espada; their faces looked just as surprised as those that belonged to the seventeen shinigami in front of them.

There was a moment of silence immediately following the old man's suggestion. But to label the ensuing wave of sound that followed as anything other than _cataclysmic _would be considered a massive understatement. Grimmjow tried to listen to all the arguments going on; he caught a woman with a thick braid running down her front saying that she "saw little harm in attempting to allow them in, as long as we can reign in their power"; there was the tall man with the eye-patch that had made a fool of himself earlier attempting to make a fool of himself again; Mayuri had obviously seen this uproar coming, as his arguments for the integration were all well-planned and obviously thought out.

And Soi Fon and a short white-haired kid were yelling at a man wearing a straw hat and pink haori.

The old man once again pounded his wooden cane on the floor, yelling at his fellow shinigami, but to no effect. The he did something Grimmjow found very discomforting. He released a wave of reiatsu powerful enough to bring the weaker shinigami in the room to their knees. Grimmjow, his spiritual energy having been consumed by the Sekkiseki around his neck for the past two days, felt his knees buckle slightly before he was able to straighten himself up. He noticed that Ulquiorra did not even waver. Szayel-Aporro, not as strongly constituted as the two of them, was soon on his knees with one hand holding himself off the ground as he attempted to catch his breath.

_So that's where Aizen picked up that little trick._

"Be silent!" Yamamoto yelled out over the crowd, some standing perfectly still, others recovering from the ground. "There will be no further discussion on the matter. There are nineteen of us here, including Sasakibe and myself. We will each cast an anonymous vote. Write 'yay' if you agree and 'nay' if you do not. If the majority agrees with the proposition, the Arrancar will be allowed the opportunity of helping fight in the war against Aizen. If the majority votes nay, the three Arrancar will be beheaded by my own hand."

Grimmjow frowned slightly. _Well, that doesn't sound good._

"You have thirty minutes of recess to think before you are all to return to this room and cast your votes. Dismissed."

Grimmjow watched silently as the room emptied, the only person to glance back at them was Soi Fon, and she looked at him blankly before turning away and exiting. Eventually they were shackled down to the floor, and left alone in the meeting room. None of them spoke for the longest time.

Once again, Ulquiorra surprised Grimmjow by breaking the silence first.

"I think this is a great opportunity for us," he said, neither his face nor voice denoting an emotion.

"Well, pal," Grimmjow shot back, "that's assuming that we even get _one _vote in our favor. Much less ten fucking votes? Do you really think that ten shinigami are going to vote for us? I'd be very surprised if we get three."

Ulquiorra said nothing and continued to stare at the door that had closed behind the shinigami as they'd left. Grimmjow sighed, feeling overwhelmingly hopeless as the minutes ticked by.

"Still," he said in a vain attempt to lighten the mood, "this has been one fucked up week."

"Yes," Ulquiorra replied as Szayel-Aporro chuckled. "Yes it has."

The large door in front of them opened and the nineteen shinigami entered in silence. It hadn't even been five minutes. Each of them held a piece of paper that was folded in half twice. Once they had given their vote to Yamamoto, each shinigami returned to their respective spot in the twin lines that stretched out in front of the trio of Espada. Grimmjow tried to make eye contact with Soi Fon, but she kept her eyes fixed on the ground in front of her. When the last shinigami returned to the line, a young girl with short dirty-blonde hair, Yamamoto spoke.

"Once the votes have been counted and the decision has been made, I expect you to silently return to your divisions, with the exceptions of Captain Hitsugaya and Captain Soi Fon."

The next minute went by glacially for Grimmjow. The entire room was silent and no one would make eye contact with one another.

Finally Yamamoto stood in front of the group to speak. "I have counted the votes twice and my lieutenant has recounted for me. The decision has been split 12-8." Grimmjow, along with the whole room, held his breath.

"Twelve voted 'yay', seven voted 'nay'"

"_Oh my fuck." _Grimmjow let the small phrase escape from his mouth along with the breath he had been holding in. A huge grin stretched across his face and he heard Ulquiorra actually chuckle. He tried to make eye contact with Soi Fon, but she once again avoided his gaze. _What is she thinking? Why won't she look at me?_

_Did she vote against us?_

"The three Arrancar will return to the jail cells they had occupied yesterday. They are to be under the supervision of the same captains that have been watching over them until now. You are all dismissed. Soi Fon, Toshirou. Meet me in my office."

Grimmjow was being lead out of the room as he passed by Soi Fon on her way to follow Yamamoto. She leaned in toward him as they passed each other, whispering into his ear.

"_I'm going to fuck the shit out of you tonight."_

He smiled wickedly as he was lead back to the second division's barracks.

_This has been the strangest fucking week of my life._

_

* * *

_

Soi Fon had been so surprised by the verdict that she hadn't known how to react. She wanted to look up at Grimmjow, but she couldn't remove her eyes from the ground.

Outside of the meeting room, during the recess they'd received, more debating had gone on. She and Toshirou had campaigned for the Arrancar; they had both worked with them and had both come to see that they were not simple-minded killing machines. Mayuri, of course, was campaigning for them as well, but only so he could tinker with them some more. A few scattered supporters here and there, in the forms of Captain Unohana and, surprisingly, Captain Kuchiki. But as they'd entered the room again, she felt like things weren't going to work out for the best. So when Yamamoto had announced the results, she couldn't believe them.

But as she passed by Grimmjow, his eyes an attractive mixture of joy and worry, she'd felt her legs get weak and she'd whispered a small promise into his ear.

_And one that I intend to keep._

She and Toshirou followed Yamamoto in silence, neither one of them wanting to call attention from their obviously grumpy commander. Yet as soon as they entered his office, his mood lightened up significantly as he sat down at his desk.

"Captains," he said as they stood before him. "I appreciate your continued support in the matter of the war on Aizen, and I am extremely pleased to see that you have abandoned your preconceived notions of the Arrancar for the betterment of Soul Society." He smiled gruffly at the two captains as they bowed their heads respectfully. "Now, I shall allow four more members to join your defense team in the real world. Of course, all nominations must be approved by their respective captains and me, but I do not foresee many problems. I do request, however, that you avoid picking any other captains, as I feel two is plenty for a mission like this."

Soi Fon's mind ran through the list of people she thought would be good candidates for the mission, but her thoughts kept returning to Grimmjow Jaggerjaques. Fortunately, Toshirou made the first nomination.

"I would like to request that Ayasegawa Yumichika come along on the mission. I have worked with him previously, and the newly displayed abilities of his zanpakuto will certainly come in handy if any Arrancar are encountered."

Soi Fon recalled the event Toshirou was referring to. After Matsumoto had defeated one of Halibel's _fracción, _the other two had ganged up on her. Yumichika had arrived in time to ensnare the taller of the two in the vines of his _Ruriiro Kujaku, _sucking all of the reiatsu from his female opponent, leaving her dead on the ground within seconds. Soi Fon had been shocked to see such a powerful technique come from the fifth seat of the eleventh division, and had always wondered why no one knew about it.

"That is a reasonable request, Captain Hitsugaya. See that you gain permission from Captain Zaraki."

"I request Kira Izuru, Lieutenant of the third division," Soi Fon said, "He and Yumichika were both on the task force designated to protect the pillars in the battle of Karakura town. Both have fought with these strong opponents before, and both had fought well."

"That is also a reasonable request. As there is no captain of the third division, I grant permission for Kira Izuru to accompany you on your mission." Yamamoto said, nodding as he thought to himself about something. Soi Fon and Toshirou both sat and watched as the Captain-commander pondered, occasionally stoking his beard. Finally, he looked up at the two captains and spoke. "If you do not mind, I would like to make the last two decisions."

"Of course not, sir." Hitsugaya said, sounding slightly circumspective.

"I would first request that the two of you allow Lieutenant Hisagi Shuuhei to accompany you upon your mission." _Oh that's wonderful, _Soi Fon thought as soon as Yamamoto had said the name. "He is an extremely capable fighter, and was also a member of the task force in Karakura town, thus having already established a relationship with the other two members of your party." He looked at her, noticing the discomfort on her face. "I hope that this does not pose any problems."

"Of course not, sir." Soi Fon said. She knew he was right. Shuuhei was right for the job- he had experience fighting the Arrancar. In fact, he killed three _fracción_ in the battle of Karakura and emerged with barely a scratch. She knew that they could put their petty grudge aside and carry out a mission without incident.

"And for the final member, I recommend you take Grimmjow Jaggerjaques."

"Excuse me, sir?" Soi Fon almost choked on her words.

"The former sixth Espada is an ideal candidate for this mission. If Captain Kurotsuchi can indeed allow one of you to control the reiatsu of an Arrancar, it would certainly benefit you to be able to harness his strengths in your favor."

"But why the sixth, sir?" Hitsugaya interjected. "The reports show that he has an extreme rivalry with representative shinigami Kurosaki Ichigo, whom we will no doubt be encountering."

"The reports also show that Kurosaki saved the life of the Arrancar, Captain Hitsugaya." Yamamoto replied. "The former eighth Espada is out of the question as he will be designated to Captain Kurotsuchi for his assistance in the scientific realm. Ulquiorra Schiffer, while seemingly the perfect candidate, represents too large a risk. The reports show that he is the strongest and the most loyal of the three. If something we to go wrong, it would be best to have someone more in your abilities to control."

Soi Fon stood there listening, hoping that her face did not look as shocked as she felt. She was to be sent on a mission to the real world with Hisagi _and_Grimmjow. She had no idea how this was going to work out.

"I will contact Urahara Kisuke and alert him of your arrival. Your mission departs in two days."

* * *

Soi Fon tore through the streets of Seireitei, stressed and aggravated and horny. She was happy about the way the trial had gone; never in a thousand years did she expect the Arrancar to be pardoned. But the meeting with the Captain-commander had left her in a sour mood.

The idea of a defense group stationed in the real world might have been her idea, but she hadn't wanted to be in it, much less lead it. And then for the Captain-commander to mandate that Hisagi Shuuhei and Grimmjow Jaggerjaques be included in the mission… She did not look forward to her old fuck-buddy and her new fuck-buddy being in the same room. And Hisagi being on the mission completely ruined the fun of Grimmjow being there.

_Although, _she thought deviously, _it might be fun fucking Grimmjow behind everyone's back._

And almost on cue, she arrived at Grimmjow's jail cell. She took one quick breath and unlocked the door.

He turned and smiled arrogantly at her. "What the _fuck _happened in there?"

She didn't say a thing as she walked across the room and pulled his shirt off, kissing him backwards onto the bed. Her mouth opened and her tongue aggressively slid into his, wrestling with his tongue. Her hands gripped the back of his neck and tugged at his hair, and she grinded her body against his.

"Don't talk," she said finally, breaking the long and passionate kiss. "I need this."

He chuckled and, seemingly to oblige to her demand, put his mouth against her neck and harshly bit her fair skin. She squeaked in surprise and pleasure and pain, running her hands through his hair, grinding her pelvis against his groin. He grabbed her by the hips with one hand, using the other to undo the knot at the base of her neck that held her shirt up. As the cloth fell to the ground, she rolled off of him so her back was on the bed, slid her hakama down her thin legs, and threw them next to her shirt on the floor. He quickly followed suit, his naked body joining hers on his bed.

"I'm glad you're not dead, Grimmjow," she sighed, gasping slightly as he entered her. Her body trembled as he smiled back.

"Me too, Soi."

She smiled and her eyes rolled back into her head and their bodies moved together as they forgot about the world.

* * *

_**author's note**_

_that was one hell of a chapter, kiddies. i was running a fever while i wrote the majority of this last night, so when i woke up this morning i read over it going "holy shit, i wrote that?" honestly one of the strangest things ever._

_gettin some good reviews over here; keep 'em all coming._

_oh and by the way, the last chapter was only a simple and brief side-stepping of the story. i got a handful of reviews that sounded hopeful that i was going to hop on the ulquihime train. while i am a fan of that boat, i'm afraid to say that my stories not going in that direction. at least, as of right now. i do plan on doing another chapter like the last one, but a little further into the story._

_oh, and i did not intend for szayel-aporro to sound as in love mayuri as he did. that was a my bad. the same with mayuri and akon. that was just mutual respect from genius to genius to genius. sorry if i'm bursting and yaoi bubbles here, more power to you, of course._

_man on man just ain't my thang._

_anyhoo, keep on kickin' it hardcore with the reviews. next chapter's gonna have a bit of a soi-yoruichi scuffle, i think. feelin' a cat fight comin' up. reviews will make it happen faster. really good reviews will make them wrestle in the mud._

_maybe._

_jta._

_**we are the righteous - tub ring**_

_**balance of the 19 - ishraqiyun**_


	9. The Gentle Art of Making Enemies

_**The Gentle Art of Making Enemies**_

_I hate this place._

Grimmjow thought that over and over again as he lay on Mayuri's operating table, awaiting the procedure he would undergo to allow the shinigami to control his reiatsu. While he wasn't thrilled about the idea, the captain that would oversee his control was the captain of the second division, Soi Fon. He figured with what he'd done for her last night, she'd owe him at least _some _leniency. _Hell, if we're going by orgasm ratio, she owes me at least three freebies._

Mayuri entered the room, tittering to himself as always. "Good morning, good morning, Arrancar. How wonderful it is to see you."

Grimmjow glared at the scientist; it had only been three days since the captain of the twelfth division had ruthlessly paralyzed and vivisected him. He wasn't too keen on allowing little things like that to just hit the back burner. _In fact,_he thought as the insane captain prepared his instruments, _if I ever get the chance, I'm going to turn this guy inside out._

"Allow me to give you some slight detail on this procedure, Grimmjow. I will inject you with a local anesthetic—" Grimmjow looked at Mayuri sharply. The scientist chuckled lightly as he continued. "Still a sore subject, Arrancar? Don't worry. This won't immobilize you or anything. I have strict orders from the Captain-commander to make sure this goes off…" he picked up a syringe filled with an amber-colored liquid, squeezing the air out of the chamber as he continued, "without a hitch."

As Mayuri plunged the needle into his hollow-hole, Grimmjow couldn't help but feel slightly uneasy trusting this man. But after a few seconds, when Grimmjow only felt a slight numbness in his stomach, he felt that he was safe for the moment.

"I am implanting a small device into your hollow-hole." Mayuri was bent over Grimmjow's stomach, talking as he worked, constantly reaching up for new tools and instruments. "When it is in place, I will turn it on and you should feel a slight draining of your spiritual power." Mayuri had no sooner said this when Grimmjow felt in incredible draining feeling in his gut. His eyes widened and he groaned slightly as it continued. He looked over at Mayuri, who had already turned to tinker with something else. He was about to call out when the feeling suddenly stopped and he was left on the table to catch his breath.

"Oh ho ho ho," the madman tittered as he turned and faced Grimmjow, a small remote in his hand. "Did I say 'a slight draining'? Well, I suppose that was light; that was a little warning signal of this device. I will be inserting a small remote into the wrist of the captains in charge of you. If they see any reason for immobilizing you, they'll have three levels of 'warnings' to issue you before they completely shut you down. The feeling which you just experienced was the first of those three levels." Grimmjow glared into Mayuri's golden eyes, the mad scientist looking back zealously. "I wouldn't recommend that you inspire them with the desire to use that particular feature, Arrancar."

* * *

Soi Fon fingered at the small remote in her wrist. There were three buttons on it; a red button, a green button, and a yellow button. She recalled Mayuri's instructions as she walked to the Captain-commander's office. _"Yellow will lower the amount of reiatsu he can access, green will raise it. The red button will send him a warning signal; in the event that he gets out of control, pressing the red button four times will shut him down completely."_

She wondered if that meant killing him.

She certainly hoped not. She had spent the entire afternoon yesterday doing paperwork and preparing for her mission. She had been stressed and overworked when she'd gone to see how Grimmjow was doing. She only took three steps into his room before he's picked her up and thrown her onto the bed, making her forget about her paperwork and the mission. She wouldn't want to kill him if he could cheer her up like that.

The past six hours had made her desire for his "stress relieving" even more. Before getting a remote control implanted in her wrist by a man she despised, she'd done nothing but exercise and train against Kira Izuru in preparation for the mission she didn't want to go on. It hadn't helped that Kira was very vocal to her about his disapproval in Grimmjow coming along.

"I just don't understand," he said, dodging the wooden sword she was wielding. "What would we need the assistance of an Espada for?"

"In the event that we encounter some strong opponents," she countered with words as he countered with his sword. "It would be advantageous for us to have him to fight for us."

"What's to insure that he won't turn on us?"

"Hopefully the device that Captain Kurotsuchi is putting in him right now."

"What if that doesn't work?"

She stopped sparring, and looked at Kira with serious eyes. "I have no guarantee for you, Lieutenant Kira. But I trust Captain Kurotsuchi, I trust the Arrancar, and I trust the Captain-commander's decision to add him onto or team."

Kira looked slightly taken aback by her sudden change of mood. "Of… Of course, Captain Soi Fon. I apologize for my lack of sympathy" He bowed his head.

"It's okay, Kira," she said, her voice softening slightly. She didn't mean to snap at him, but his words had struck a nerve with her. What _is_keeping any of these Arrancar from gaining their captor's trust and then killing the only person capable of reining them in? What's to stop Grimmjow from killing her in her sleep?

She excused herself from the rest of practice to take a shower and prepare herself for surgery and the meeting with Yamamoto that followed. She tried not to think about Grimmjow for the rest of the afternoon, but her mind continued returning to the image of him standing over her as she slept, a red _cero_ forming in his hand.

* * *

The members of the mission to Karakura town stood before Captain-commander Yamamoto. Grimmjow was still awestruck that he was elected to go on a mission to the material world, but he wasn't about to protest it—he still wasn't positive that one word of dissention from him would warrant a swift trip to the guillotine. He'd arrived to Yamamoto's office early to receive a quick briefing on the mission and gain information on the shinigami he'd be travelling with. As Yamamoto explained to the group what he and Grimmjow had already covered, Grimmjow let his eyes wander over the faces in the room.

His gaze first landed on an effeminate looking shinigami with straight black hair and a pair of red and yellow feathers sticking out from the corner of his right eye. _Ayasegawa Yumichika, _Grimmjow thought as the words of Yamamoto swirled through his mind. Next to him was a lieutenant with blonde hair and an extremely melancholy look on his face. _Lieutenant Kira Izuru._

The next shinigami in line garnered a glare from Grimmjow. _Hisagi Shuuhei. _Something about the lieutenant made Grimmjow feel extremely competitive. The background information Yamamoto had given on the young shinigami was more than enough to get Grimmjow in a competing mood; Hisagi was considered a prodigy, graduated the shinigami academy early, and was rewarded a an officer's seat immediately upon graduation. Add in the fact that the kid was a student of Tousen Kaname, a man he vehemently despised, and Grimmjow Jaggerjaques had himself a rival.

And something about the way he interacted with Soi Fon made Grimmjow feel a tinge protective and a load competitive. He didn't care about the shinigami captainess on an emotional level, but his pride made him consider her, at least for the moment, his woman. As long as he was still fucking her, he didn't want any man getting too close. And he would relish any opportunity to "protect" her.

The final two in the group were Captains Soi Fon and Hitsugaya Toshirou. The white-haired Hitsugaya was considered even more of a prodigy than Hisagi. But the youngest captain in the history of soul society avoided the rivalry with Grimmjow for one basic reason—Grimmjow was not about to fuck with a man who held a reiatsu draining remote. Grimmjow's gaze slid over to Soi Fon standing next to Hitsugaya. He imagined slipping the white haori off her back, kissing and biting her exposed shoulders as he slid his one hand into the slit on the side of her uniform, and the other into the slit in her hakama.

"Furthermore," Yamamoto said, snapping Grimmjow out of his day-dream. "I have Contacted Urahara Kisuke. He has prepared gigai for the six of you and is awaiting your arrival in the real world. Seeing as though all arrangements have been taken care of in Karakura, this group will leave within an hour." Grimmjow chuckled at the surprised looks on his teammate's faces. Grimmjow had suggested earlier that the party leave as soon as possible, and the Captain-commander had quickly agreed.

"An hour," Yumichika questioned. "Why aren't we leaving tomorrow as planned?"

"Because, dimwit," Grimmjow spoke up from the back of the room, roughly restating what he'd told Yamamoto earlier. "If Aizen plans on re-trying for Karakura town, he's going to do it sooner rather than later."

The shinigami's usual beautiful features curled into a snarl, causing Grimmjow to smirk. "I don't recall addressing you, Arrancar," Yumichika said, moving his hand to the hilt of his zanpakuto.

"Well," Grimmjow responded, his own hand ready to pull his newly regained _Pantera _from its sheath. "Seeing as though it was my idea to leave today, I figured I would answer the question."

Hisagi spoke up then, addressing the Captain-commander while pointing an outraged finger at Grimmjow. "So what? We're allowing the _Espada _to make our decisions for us now? Why don't we hand ourselves over to Aizen right now?" He turned and took a step toward Grimmjow, unlocking his sword from the scabbard as he walked.

"Lieutenant Hisagi, stand down!" Soi Fon called out to him as he approached the Arrancar.

"Fuck that, Soi." Hisagi said as he whirled on her, facing her angrily. "This guy is not one of us. I can't stand idly by as he—"

The sound of a _sonido_ ripped through the air and Hisagi Shuuhei found himself with an Espada's sword positioned at his throat. Grimmjow was behind him, _Pantera_ pulled tight against his neck. "You shouldn't _ever _turn away from your opponent, _lieutenant_." Grimmjow hissed venomously into Hisagi's ear, sarcasm dripping from the last word. "Otherwise, you might find yourself—"

The words were caught in Grimmjow's throat as he felt a wave of his spiritual energy being pulled from his body. He released the shinigami and fell to his knees. _What the hell? _he thought, looking at Soi Fon as he grasped his hollow-hole.

But she was looking back at him, just as confused.

Yamamoto stood, allowing his voice to boom out over the room. "I have made the decision to have the defense party leave in one hour. That is the end of discussion. Lieutenant Hisagi, the Arrancar is now an equal member of your team; his opinion will be as valued as your own, if not more. He is far more familiar with the way Aizen works than you." Yamamoto turned his glare over to Grimmjow, holding up a small remote. "And let this be a reminder to you, Grimmjow Jaggerjaques. _Do not _underestimate the abilities and the ruthlessness of the shinigami."

Grimmjow glared back at the Captain-commander, gasping for air. Yamamoto sat back at his desk before he continued. "Make any preparations needed. I will meet you all at the gate in one hour. Dismissed."

The shinigami bowed their heads as Grimmjow stood, recovering from the stunning loss of reiatsu. None of the shinigami would make eye contact with him as the passed, including Soi Fon. He opened his mouth to speak to her, but she walked past him, her shoulder forcefully clipping his as she went.

_Fucking wonderful, _he thought as he rolled his eyes.

* * *

_What the hell was that? _Soi Fon thought as she hurried back to her office. _We haven't even _begun _the mission and people are trying to kill each other. I don't need that, especially from those two._

She was infuriated with Grimmjow, but he had also scared her. Her conversation with Kira earlier had planted a small seed of fear in her brain, and the actions Grimmjow had taken did nothing but water that seed. She had no idea what Grimmjow was capable of, both physically and mentally; if he could fuck her one minute and rip her throat out the next, she wasn't entirely sure she should be sharing her bed with him.

So when the Arrancar entered her office a few minutes after she did, her guard was definitely up.

"What the hell was that, Grimmjow?" she demanded of him, her eyes boring into his menacingly.

"What do you want me to say, Soi?" he replied, his eyes just as ferocious as his. "What am I supposed to do when shit like that happens, back down? Fuck that. I'm already enemy number one on this mission. The last thing I want is to have them bossing me around from the get go."

"It doesn't matter what you want," she said, shaking her head in irritation. "You are enemy number one on this mission for a good reason, Grimmjow. Up until yesterday, you _were_enemy number one. Those emotions aren't going to simply fade away." She turned toward her desk, finalizing some last minute reports as she spoke. "You need to keep your head down and play their game for a while. Putting a sword to the throat of a comrade isn't going to garner you many sympathies."

"I don't need their sympathy," he said shortly, his head turning away from her.

"Then I do not know what you need, Grimmjow," she said, once more walking past him. "I'll see you in an hour."

She left her office then, leaving him behind her. She had no desire to talk with him. She had no desire to talk to anyone at the moment. Rounding a curve and leaving her division, she reasoned she might kill the next person she encountered.

It did not bode well for Hisagi Shuuhei that he'd decided to confront her then.

"Soi," he called out from behind her. "Can I talk to you?"

She stopped, growling silently as she turned to him. "I've asked you repeatedly to address me as 'Captain Soi Fon', Lieutenant Shuuhei," she said, irritated that he'd obviously been waiting for her.

"Come on, Soi…" he began, but her icy stare made him stop mid-sentence. "Captain Soi Fon, may I speak with you for a moment?" She looked at him dismissively, but gestured for him to continue. "I do not think it is wise to bring that Arrancar along with us," he said, his tone of voice confrontational. "The aggression he's already shown toward the members of the group leaves me with little faith in his ability to be trusted."

It was obvious that he wanted to start a fight with her. She was happy to oblige.

"Are you sure that's what it is, Shuuhei?" she questioned, disregarding her own policy of formality. "Or is it because he might be stronger than you? Or the fact that his opinions might be considered over yours?" She saw Hisagi's face turn up as she accosted his pride. She almost felt bad for her former lover, but today was simply the wrong day to try and fuck with her. She decided to go for blood.

"Or is it that you are _scared _of him after he so easily put his blade against your throat, _lieutenant_?" she asked, imitating the sarcasm Grimmjow had used earlier. Hisagi opened his mouth to speak, but closed it after he couldn't seem to find the words he was searching for. Soi Fon turned and began walking to the Senkai Gate, hoping no one else would bother her.

_Because I swear I will kill the next one._

She arrived at the gate early, and stood silently with her eyes closed as she waited for the others to arrive. She didn't speak even as the three officers approached. She didn't acknowledge Toshirou when he arrived and stood next to her. And she completely ignored Grimmjow as she waited for the gates to open.

_I just want to get this stupid fucking mission over with,_she thought as she stepped through the gate.

* * *

_**author's note**_

_ok, bit of a short chapter this time. this was actually just the first half of this chapter, but i'm gonna be so busy with work and school this weekend that i wouldn't have ben able to finish it all until tuesday. and i couldn't do that to you guys. why? 'cause i loves youse guys._

_next chapter will have some soi-yoruichi drama, i swear. as well as more grimmjow scuffles with the other guys. maybe ichigo will make an appearance? who knows? i also can't wait to start writing for urahara; it'll be like writing for mayuri, except funnier. the next chapter will also be the first of a seven-part chapter, so get ready for that. i'm seeing some cool stuff gettin ready to pop off up in here._

_review review review. i love it when ya do._

_jta._

_**the gentle art of making enemies - faith no more**_


	10. Bring Back the Apocalypse

_**Bring Back the Apocalypse**_

Grimmjow Blinked as his eyes adjusted to the daylight. He stepped out of the gateway and onto the gravel lot that stretched out in front of the Urahara Candy Shop.

"What the fuck?" Grimmjow said, breaking the long silence. No one had spoken since leaving Soul Society. Normally, Grimmjow would have been thankful for the silence, but he knew that the lack of conversation was because of him. And even then he wouldn't have really cared, except for the fact that Soi Fon was angry with him.

He couldn't figure it out, but ever since Soi Fon had left him alone in her office, he was unable to think of anything other than her. He tried to think about the mission, about Aizen's possible plans as he walked back to his room. _Which is still a fucking jail cell, _he'd thought as he entered. His mind began to drift away from Soi Fon and he thought of ways to negotiate himself getting a better room as he stepped into the shower. But the water reminded him of showering with Soi earlier that morning, her small body pinned up against the wall as the hot water ran down his back.

He dried himself, got dressed, and slowly made his way through Seireitei to the Senkai Gate. He arrived last, everyone else in the party standing before the Captain-commander. He stood behind Soi Fon, hoping that she would turn and look at him, hoping that the last hour had given her time to cool off. But as the gate opened and they travelled between the living and dead worlds without her giving him so much as a glace, his hopes steadily declined. He glanced over at the nearest shinigami, Yumichika, to attempt maybe some small talk. He had no idea what he would talk about, but the feeling of hate he felt in the hallway they were traversing through was beginning to suffocate him. He saw that Yumichika had briefly looked over at him, regarding him coldly out of the corner of his feathered eye, but the shinigami stubbornly returned his gaze forward.

But when they made their exit from the gate, and the first thing Grimmjow saw was Urahara's _Candy _Shop, he had to break the silence. In the elegant way that only he could.

"I thought this guy was a brilliant scientist? Why the fuck are we in front of a _candy _store?"

"Because," a light voice sang out from behind them. "I _am_ just the simple owner of a neighborhood candy store. The scientist thing was all hearsay and rumor."

They all turned to see a man with hay-colored hair hidden beneath a green and white bucket hat approaching them. He wore a black robe accented with a row of white diamonds along the bottom, a perfect perversion of a captain's haori. He walked right past Grimmjow, his wooden clogs clacking on the gravel, his cane held up and tapping on his shoulder. He approached Captain Hitsugaya and extended a hand to the young captain.

"If this weren't a candy store," he said as he took Hitsugaya's hand, grinning devilishly at the shorter shinigami, "then this little boy wouldn't be one of my best customers!"

* * *

Soi Fon stood in front of the mirror, looking over the artificial body she had just stepped into. She grabbed some clothes, provided by Urahara, and slipped them on. She looked over herself once more, admittedly awestruck at the exiled shinigami's good choice in clothing; she had a pair of dark blue denim jeans, a long-sleeved crimson shirt, and black tennis shoes with red stitching. _This must have been Yoruichi's doing, _she thought as she examined the simple but attractive outfit. _The Kisuke I know could never have put this together. He can hardly dress _himself, _much less somebody else._

She stepped out of the bathroom and stopped suddenly, her mouth falling open slightly as she saw Grimmjow. He was wearing light denim jeans and a royal blue button-up dress shirt. He had a black sports coat on over the button-up and a simple pair of black and white skating shoes on his feet. And when her eyes slid up and over his chest and higher to his face, she felt a rush of desire tear through her body. _His mask is gone, _she thought lustfully while silently examining his ever-attractive jaw-line.

Grimmjow's gigai was indeed missing the ivory jawbone that usually adorned his face and he did not look happy about it. She didn't want to break the impasse that she'd been maintaining with him, but her hormones got the best of her and she approached him.

"You look almost human, Grimmjow," she said as he looked at his cheek in a mirror, making sure that her voice did not reveal her lust for him.

"Yeah," he replied absent mindedly as he turned his head and looked at his face from another angle. "My hollow-hole is missing, too. I'm not sure if I care for these '_gigai_' things," he said, sounding like an upset child.

Despite her best efforts, she chuckled at him. She wanted so badly to stay angry with him, but she was so attracted to him. _God, he's trouble. Maybe if I just leave, he won't consider me talking to him a friendly action._

"Oh?" He said, smiling largely. "Was that a laugh? Does this mean we're not mad at me anymore?" He looked at her, his eyes half mocking, half hopeful.

"I wouldn't go that far, _Espada."_ She'd spoken that last word with a tinge of venom, but she stepped closer to him as she continued scolding him. "You are still on my shit list for that little stunt you pulled earlier." Her tone was growing slightly less harsh, the icy tone being replaced by one that was far more enticing.

"Fair enough, little Captainess," he said, smirking seductively at her. "But you can take my word that I will never, _ever,_ be as foolish as to draw my sword on a shinigami again," he said, the volume of his voice dropping and becoming as seductive as his smirk. "I promise."

She stepped closer to him, bridging the gap between the two. She tilted her head up towards his and he was about to lean down and put his lips to hers. Right before their mouths would have touched, he suddenly snapped his head away a looked at the door in anticipation.

"Grimmjow, what is it—" she began when an angry voice from outside the building cut her off.

"_Grimmjow!"_

Grimmjow's face exploded in a wicked smile as he responded, just as menacingly, to the caller."_Ichigo!"_

The orange-haired shinigami burst through the door, _Zangetsu _already unwrapped and clenched in his hands. Grimmjow picked up the glove Urahara had given him and pushed it to his own chest, throwing his spirit out of the gigai. He quickly pulled _Pantera _out of its sheath. Soi Fon watched this all in confused awe; she had been only a second away from fucking him, and maybe even forgiving his rash behavior from earlier. _And now he's about to do it again? _She thought incredulously. _After he just promised me that he wouldn't? Is he truly as blood-thirsty as we all fear he is? Is he really as ruthless as I think he might be?_

"I had to see it with my own eyes, Grimmjow," Ichigo said, smirking at the Arrancar in front of him, pointing the tip of his zanpakuto at him. "I don't know how you did it, but you went from death-row to Soul Society's pet in one week."

"Them's the breaks, Shinigami," Grimmjow replied, his eyes promising violence. Soi Fon readied her own glove, in the event she would have to use the newly installed remote on her wrist to stop the violence-driven Arrancar. "But shinigami pet or not," he continued, pointing his sword at Ichigo. "I bet I could still beat the shit out of you."

Ichigo chuckled slightly. "I'd like to see you try, Grimmjow." The insane smiles on both of their faces made Soi Fon realize that, while these two might actually kill one another, they were _genuinely _happy to see each other. Happy for another chance to cut each other to ribbons. "We don't have enough room in here," Ichigo continued. "But I know a place where I'll have miles to kick your ass around."

Grimmjow didn't even reply before they both vanished out of her sight, the soft hush of Ichigo's _shunpo _sounding simultaneously against the tearing sound of Grimmjow's _sonido_. Soi Fon, feeling slightly deflated, turned and looked herself over in the mirror once more before she exited the room. _Maybe I could go watch those two fools kill each other,_she thought as she walked through the halls of the Urahara Shop. _At least it would serve to kill some time before we sit down with Urahara and—_

Her thoughts were interrupted as a tall woman with dark skin rounded the corner and stood before her, staring at her warmly with golden eyes.

"Yoruichi."

"Hello, Soi Fon," the woman said to her, walking forward, closing the gap between the two of them. "How have you been?"

Soi Fon was a medley of emotions. Here she stood, the woman that had caused so much pain and so much grief in her heart; the woman whom she had held in such high regard since she was a child; the woman she both hated and loved. She wanted to walk past Yoruichi without saying a word. She wanted to run and hug her. She wanted to kick her in the throat. But out of all these things she could have done, Soi Fon discovered how weak she truly was when she did nothing but return the cordialities.

"I've been fine," she said as she looked down at her feet. "Soul Society has been quite busy since the end of the battle. As I'm sure you've been notified, we're attempting to integrate the Arrancar into the Gotei 13…" she trailed off, mentally kicking herself for drabbling on about nothing. She wanted to confront Yoruichi about leaving, about all the things she's thought about for the past hundred years. The last time they encountered each other, they were so concerned about Aizen's betrayal that the subject of why Yoruichi had left never came up. Soi had wanted to talk to her about it, but she'd never been able to find the courage to open her mouth.

Today didn't look like anything would change.

"I'm glad to hear that you are well," Yoruichi said with a genuine smile, "I need to go find Kisuke and join him on an errand. After that we should sit down and talk about this mission."

"Yes, of course," Soi Fon said blankly, upset at her former commander's swift dismissal.

She turned and walked away from Soi, heading for the front door of the shop. Yoruichi paused slightly and turned back to her long-time friend, a sad smile playing on her lips. "It's good to see you again, Soi. I miss having you around."

She left then, leaving Soi Fon to spin around in her confused head. _She misses me? _She removed her gigai, the expression of confusion staying on her face the entire time. _If she misses me, why doesn't she act like it? Why doesn't she come back?_ She sat down at the desk in her gust room and looked over mission report files that had been sent by Soul Society. After reading the Captain-commander's instructions for an hour or so, she walked to the back of the shop and started down the long ladder that led to Urahara's hidden training grounds, knowing that the rest of her team would be at the bottom. But as she reached the floor of that cavernous room, her mouth fell open in utter astonishment as she looked over at the members of her team.

_What the hell happened?_

_

* * *

_

"Oi, Toshirou! Pass me that water."

"It's Captain Hitsugaya_."_

Grimmjow chuckled as the younger captain angrily tossed him the bottle of water. He took a long swig, relishing the cool feeling that was falling down his throat. He brought the bottle down from his lips, still trying to catch his breath after the long duel he'd just had. He pulled once more from the bottle and tossed it into Kira's waiting hand. He laughed silently as he thought of Soi Fon; he knew she was about to fuck him, and he knew he was probably in the dog-house with her, but he didn't care.

He was actually having a good time.

He and Ichigo had started sparring the moment they'd set foot in the enormous subterranean training room, both of them disregarding safety and using their real swords in place of the wooden zanpakuto the others were training with. They fought wildly, Ichigo taking wide and powerful slashes with _Zangetsu,_Grimmjow blocking and jabbing accurately with _Pantera._Eventually the other shinigami, who had begun slowing their training while watching these two former rivals slice one another up, halted their practicing entirely so that they could surround the two reckless combatants. Eventually Ichigo fell for a blocking ruse by Grimmjow and ended up with a shallow slice running up his left side. They split apart, both feet landing on the ground at the same time, both panting heavily, both dripping blood from shallow wounds.

"Nice move, Grimmjow." Ichigo said between heavy breaths. "I think I might have to sit down for a moment."

"Wimpin' out on me already, Shinigami?" Grimmjow accused him, "You'd better hope that the rest of you have more endurance than this. Otherwise you guys are gonna be real fuckin' sorry the next time Aizen comes around." He purposefully raised his voice in hopes that one of the others in the team would rise to the accusation. He and Ichigo had sparred for almost an entire hour without any repose; he was tired and bruised and bleeding, but the rush of battle he felt was enough to fuel him for what seemed like forever. After so long being cooped in a jail cell, he still stood, hoping for a new opponent.

Which he found in Hisagi Shuuhei.

The fight with Hisagi was completely different than his fight with Ichigo. Where Ichigo was completely about strength and power and speed, Hisagi Shuuhei was a true warrior; every placement of his blade was calculated and every intention he held was fatal. Any mistake Grimmjow made against this opponent would most likely leave him lying in a puddle of blood. _And I don't think he would hesitate to put me there, either, _he thought as he blocked a strike from Hisagi's unreleased _Kazeshini. _And when Grimmjow used this opening to plant his foot into Hisagi's exposed stomach, the look in the shinigami's eyes screamed with a desire to kill.

"What's with that look, Shinigami?" Grimmjow asked, taunting his opponent, laughing hard enough to separate the two mandibles of his mask. "I was just about to say how glad I am to have you on _my_ side. But that look in your eyes makes me think you might just kill me anyway…" He brought his zanpakuto down, admiring as his opponent's speed as he used _shunpo_ to avoid the blow and get behind Grimmjow, quickly retaliating with his own sword. He quickly blocked the shinigami's attack and continued his sentence "… if I were to ever give you the chance!" He threw Hisagi away forcefully, sending the lieutenant flying into one of the many rock outcroppings located in their clandestine arena. Grimmjow slowly lowered himself to the ground as Hisagi stood from the rubble. He coldly regarded his opponent as he regained his fighting stance and both fighters allowed the space between them to linger for a moment.

"That's funny, Arrancar," Hisagi said, panting as blood flowed down his face from his temple, covering the tattoo on his right cheek, "here I was, just now, thinking the same exact thing." Grimmjow grinned at Hisagi, but neither of them allowed the stalemate to last long as they both rushed each other, blades crashing into one another with an almost unrivalled ferocity.

Only after a few minutes more did their battle truly end. Grimmjow had been dangerously close to summoning forth a _cero _after Hisagi had used a _shakkahou._ When the shinigami used the kidou attack, Hitsugaya had been quick to interfere; he knew Grimmjow would see that as a justifiable excuse to blast Hisagi with the deadly red beam of energy.

And the only way for the young captain to stop the battle-crazed swordsmen was to imprison them both with a six light-rod prison kidou spell. After they'd calmed down, Grimmjow and Hisagi sat down next to each other. Despite them both bleeding freely, they looked over at one another and laughed.

"You aren't too bad, Grimmjow." Hisagi said, still panting slightly. "I really _am _glad that you are on our side."

"The same to you, Shinigami."

So after Grimmjow passed the bottle of water to Kira, who had just finished sparring with Yumichika, he leaned back and placed his arms over his head as he stretched out on the rocky terrain beneath him. He heard the other shinigami rise to their feet and move off in the distance. He finally managed to control his breathing as he calmly regarded the artificial blue sky above him.

Which was suddenly eclipsed by a very confused looking Soi Fon.

"What the hell happened to you?" she said as she looked down at Grimmjow, her voice a mixture of anger and inquiry. And a tinge of concern.

"What are you talking about, little Captainess?" Grimmjow questioned sarcastically, knowing exactly what she was referring to.

"You're all bloody and your shirt is burnt," the concern in her tone had grown significantly.

"Oh, that." He sat up and turned to face her, placing his forearms on his knees. "Well, the blood is mostly from Ichigo's sword. But I would have to say that the burns are from that red fireball Hisagi shot at me."

"What the fuck are you fighting with him for?" The female captain no longer held any amount of concern in her voice.

"Whoa there," he said, smirking as he stood up. "Don't jump to any conclusions now, Soi. We were just practicing."

She looked him up and down. "You don't look like you were practicing. You look like you were trying to kill each other." She looked over at the rest of the group, who were now approaching them. Hisagi looked like he was in just as bad of shape as Grimmjow.

"Perfect practice makes perfect," he said, seductively and teasingly. "What better way to avoid a killing blow on the battlefield than to avoid one in the training arena?"

The rest of the group had reached them before she could respond. Surprisingly, they were all smiling, despite their obviously tired bodies. Hitsugaya was the first to speak, the tone in his voice an equal mixture of amusement and irritation.

"I almost had to kill our Arrancar associate, Captain Soi Fon."

"Funny," she said, shooting Grimmjow a slight glare. "He failed to mention this when I'd asked him what had happened."

"That was my fault, Captain Soi Fon," Hisagi said, chuckling lightly. "I got a little carried away with myself and blasted him with a _shakkahou."_

"And I was about to put a _cero _through your skull before Toshirou here trapped me with that kidou spell."

"_It's Captain Hitsugaya,"_the small captain hissed. Kira chuckled as Yumichika patted his superior on the shoulder.

Soi Fon, obviously taken aback by the newly-formed companionship, shook her head slightly as she spoke. "Urahara and Yoruichi will be returning to the shop soon. They've gone off to meet an informant and hopefully they'll be learning something about Aizen's new movements. Upon their arrival, we will be holding a meeting upstairs to discuss what they've learned. I'd recommend you all go upstairs and clean up before they arrive."

The rest of the team departed, leaving her to walk beside Grimmjow as they left the training room. She was completely and utterly confused at his recent behavior; only this morning had he threatened to kill Hisagi Shuuhei, and now the two of them were laughing like friends. They did not speak the entire climb up the long ladder, and when they reached the top Yumichika and Kira were talking about the sparring match they'd just witnessed. Their loud boasting about Grimmjow's abilities attracted him like a moth to a flame.

"Oi, Grimmjow," Kira called out, his soft voice tinged with a palpable excitement. "That was some fight. I thought you were gonna kill Hisagi for second there."

"I thought it was the other way around, myself." Yumichika interjected, his violet eyes glimmering at the Arrancar.

Soi Fon rolled her eyes as she saw Grimmjow inflate at the gratuitous compliments, but she couldn't help smile at how happy he looked as he conversed with two men that were his mortal enemies less than a week ago.

"I think that it could have gone either way, really," Grimmjow beamed as he spoke. "I think if either of us had misjudged the other, we might have been in serious trouble."

"I can't believe he threw that _shakkahou _at you," Kira piped up again. "I've never seen him so desperate to win a fight, even if it was just a sparring match."

"Have either of you fought against Lieutenant Hisagi?" Grimmjow asked, his smile still stretched across his entire face. Soi Fon listened in astonishment as the former Espada heaped praise upon Shuuhei. "He was never desperate in the entire fight. At least not from my point of view. Everything he did was cold and calculated; every move he made was intended to kill me. The kidou blast he fired at me was the only thing he could do to stop the string of attacks I was performing on him."

Kira looked slightly taken aback. "Then why did you charge up a _cero_?_"_

Soi Fon was also taken aback; she'd only assumed that Grimmjow was joking when he'd mentioned the dreaded hollow attack earlier. To the shinigami, a _cero _was an attack to be feared, whether coming from a friend or foe. The knowledge that Grimmjow had attempted to use that technique on one of the members of the team left Soi Fon with a slightly sour taste in her mouth.

Grimmjow simply shrugged. "It was only instinct I guess— return a blast with a blast. Besides, we were just practicing. I'm almost one-hundred percent positive that I wouldn't have killed him with it!" The other shinigami laughed, causing Soi Fon to relax slightly. _I wasn't there, I don't know how serious it was, _she thought, the genuine laughter coming from the other two shinigami assuring her that it hadn't been very serious at all.

Kira and Yumichika excused themselves and walked into their separate rooms to clean up before the meeting with Urahara. As Soi Fon and Grimmjow continued their walk to their quarters, she finally found the words she was looking for.

"I only said you had to keep your head down, Grimmjow," she said with a slight teasing tone in her voice. "I didn't expect you to become _friends _with the rest of the team. Hell, I didn't even expect you to help keep the peace on this mission."

"Well, you asked me to be on better behavior, Soi," he said dismissively. "I figured I'd at least try and make you happy."

His words caused a shock to run down her body; she had no idea why, but hearing him say that he'd befriended the rest of the team _for her_ made her desire for him reach an apex. When they'd reached his door, she opened it for him and threw him into the room. She kissed him roughly, his mouth happily returning the favor. She slid her hands behind his neck, grabbing at his hair, pulling his head down while cursing how much shorter she was than he. He picked her up and brought her to the bathroom with him, pulling her clothes away with one hand as he turned the shower on with the other.

When they were both naked, she pulled him into the shower, despite the fact that the water was not warm yet. The cold water running over her body sent shivers up her spine. But the blood that was running down Grimmjow's muscles as the water washed it away from his wounds sent that shiver right back down to her groin.

"Thanks for behaving for me, Grimm," she whispered into his ear as he picked her up and pinned her against the wall.

* * *

"Unfortunately, the informant we thought we'd had did not meet with us. We suspect that Aizen discovered that she was a mole and killed her."

Grimmjow was only idly paying attention to the meeting up until this point. The thoughts of him and Soi in the shower had been pre-occupying the better half of his train of thought. That and the meeting had been extremely monotonous until Urahara had mentioned the mole.

"So you _did _have a mole?" he said in slight surprise. "I guess that's you guys knew about the Karakura invasion. Who was it?"

"She did not reveal her name to us," Yoruichi responded. "But she was a younger woman, with short blonde hair and she was missing her right eye."

"Ah, Menoly," Grimmjow replied nonchalantly. "Yeah, Aizen's been irritated with her for a while now. I'm pretty sure he suspected her."

"You knew her?" Urahara questioned. "Was she a reliable source?"

"As far as I knew," he replied, a tone of disgust creeping into his voice. "She and this other little bitch Loly used to run around at Aizen's feet like puppies, eating his praises like table scraps. Other than Ulquiorra, Tousen, and Gin, I'm sure those two would be the most in the know." Grimmjow grew silent for a moment, thinking things over. When he continued, his voice had gained a far more serious quality. "But if suspected her, the information that she would have been privy to may have been false."

"The last piece of information we'd received from her concerned the battle of Karakura and was accurate," Yoruichi stated bluntly. "We shouldn't need to worry about that."

"Perhaps," Yumichika interjected, breaking the small silence that had formed after Yoruichi had finished speaking, "if Aizen suspected her of spying on him, he could have figured out it was you two she was reporting to. Perhaps he could be sending out an attack party?"

"That is a very unlikely scenario, Ayasegawa," Kira responded. "I doubt Aizen would be the vindictive type; I don't believe he would send out more Arrancar just to attack out of revenge."

Grimmjow began to zone-out again. The conversations folding out before him were extremely boring; his mind, and eyes, kept drifting over to Soi Fon. Every once and a while she would return the eye contact, sometimes focusing on his eyes, sometimes a bit lower than that. Sometimes she would be looking _far_below his eye level. As she lightly bit her lower lip, he smirked at her while thinking of what he would be doing to her the moment everyone else fell asleep.

He heard the visceral tearing sound of a _garganta _opening.

His eyes snapped away from Soi Fon as he shot to his feet. The others, whose ears were not as attuned to the sounds his fellow Arrancar made, looked at him questioningly. Grimmjow closed his eyes and searched for the reiatsu of any Arrancar. _One, two._They began popping up in his vision like small blue flames as he continued his search. _Four, five, six._

"_Grimmjow?_" he heard a voice call out to him as his eyes flew open.

"They're here."

* * *

_**author's note**_

_wowzers. another fun chapter if i do say so myself. while i admit the first half was hard to write, once my fingers decided to make grimmjow and hisagi fight, it was all a breeze._

_i know some of you were expecting more of a confrontation between yoruichi and soi fon, but that boat bores me. everyone and their mother loves to focus on soi and the cat-lady. hell, even the actual author of the manga did it. i just feel like it's a little played out, so i didn't want to dwell on the situation too much._


	11. Bring Back the Apocalypse II

_**Bring Back the Apocalypse II:**_

_** Circumambulation**_

Toshirou was on his feet almost as quickly as Grimmjow had been. He thought he had felt a gentle and evil reiatsu tickling the back of his neck, and when Grimmjow's eyes flew to the window, Toshirou knew that the Arrancar had come. He tried to feel their presence, to determine how many there were, to determine how strong they were. _Shit, _he thought as Grimmjow left the room, quickly followed by Soi Fon. _He'll obviously be going after the strongest one. I don't want to leave any of the lieutenants up against the stronger Arrancar._ His hopes were for want as he noticed that Yumichika had already vanished, and his other two subordinates were on their way out of the shop._ Shit, I guess it's too late for planning._

"Kisuke!" Toshirou called out as he ran from the room. "Get Soul Society on the line! Tell them we've made contact with Aizen's forces! Have them remain on stand-by for reinforcements!"

He rushed out of the Urahara Shop before he had time to hear a response, if one was even given. He looked up into the chilly night air, his eyes searching the cloudless sky for any sign of his companions. Or his enemies. He felt outward, searching for the reiatsu of any nearby Arrancar. He soon felt a dense and foul pressure come into his head from his left, from what felt like less than a mile away. He leapt onto the roof of a nearby building and continued his search as he deftly moved from rooftop to rooftop.

He didn't have to search long before he was rewarded.

He leapt into the air, using _bukujutsu _to levitate himself above the city of Karakura. He soon reached his desired altitude and found himself staring at long and slender female Arrancar. She wore a sleeveless dress that ran down to her calf, the black line of the zipper starting at her left calf and curving along her body until it stopped at the top of her collar, which was zipped up to her throat. Her dark hair was buzzed short around her scalp, with the exception of a long patch of white hair running down the center of her head that was styled into a wispy Mohawk. A red mark pulled back from her right eye to her ear, similar to the pair that adorned Ikkaku's eyes. Her hollow mask took the shape of a cheek bone that extended into a thin beak that stuck out from the left side of her face, obstructing that side of her nose. He pulled _Hyourinmaru _from its sheath and pointed it at the Arrancar.

"A captain!" she gasped playfully, softly placing the back of her hand against her lips. "How lucky am I?" Toshirou growled quietly at the arrogance allArrancar seemed to possess; his fight with Shaw-long Qufang had started out with the same confident boasting. This time, however, the limits of the all shinigami had been released from the beginning. There would be no unfair power gap at the start of these battles. That was a risk they knew they could no longer afford with Aizen's army. Seemingly unaware of his irritation, she continued, her voice growing harsher as she spoke. "And which captain would you be, little one?"

"I'm Hitsugaya Toshirou, captain of the tenth division," he replied, his eyes as icy as the cold he felt welling in the pit of his stomach.

"Oh, such a prestigious title! I am jealous of it! Mine is not as regal as yours, but I think it will suffice," she said as she pulled her sword from its crimson scabbard, leveling it at Toshirou. "I am Ardea Egretta, _fracción _of the sixth Espada, Geier." She bowed mockingly, her eyes maintaining their line on him. Her voice dropped any semblance of playfulness as she spoke her next sentence.

"It's a pleasure to kill you, Captain Hitsugaya."

She rushed forward quickly, striking at Toshirou with extreme force and speed. She slashed at him six times in succession, each strike he blocked pushing him back further and further. She continued this onslaught, driving Hitsugaya backwards toward a building. _Shit, _he thought as his back drew steadily closer to the building. _I can't seem to find an opening anywhere. She's so fast! _Ardea continued her slicing, bringing her blade down onto his time after time. Finally, she brought her blade down extremely forcefully, sending Toshirou flying backwards into a parking garage.

"What's the matter, little captain?" she called out into the smoke and rubble. "Don't tell me you couldn't deflect those little love-swipes?" When no response come from the wreckage, Ardea stuck out her lower lip and called out, her playful tone returning. "I was just playin' around with you!"

"Sit upon the frozen heavens, _Hyourinmaru!"_

A crescent shaped blade flew out from the smoke and the chain it was attached to wrapped around her leg. A light covering of ice crawled up from the chain and engulfed Ardea's leg; she looked down in slight irritation as she called out to the hidden captain.

"You think a little bit of ice is enough to bring me down, little ca—?"

Her voice stopped as an enormous wave of ice and water flew at her from the rubble. The great blast took the shape of a serpentine dragon as it slithered through the air towards her. She turned to evade it, but she was still attached to the chain wrapped around her thigh. She looked down in horror as she realized the huge ice-dragon was using the chain as a track to her. "Shit!" she yelled as she threw up both her hands, her forearms crossing over her face as _Hyourinmaru's _open mouth crashed into her. She held herself above the flying torrent of ice and water that threatened to swallow her, her strong skin resilient to the cold, her reiatsu enough to keep from being overwhelmed by her opponent's weapon. But the giant ice dragon changed directions, and pointed them both at the ground. _Hyourinmaru_ crashed down into the street, leaving a large puddle of icy water with the Arrancar frozen in the middle.

Toshirou emerged from the wrecked parking garage and stood with his guard ready. He'd frozen Arrancar before to no effect and he didn't want to be caught off guard again. He panted slightly, a tiny trickle of blood running from his forehead. He reached up to wipe it away with the back of his hand; no sooner had he taken his attention off the iced _fracción _when a red _cero _broke free from the ice, almost taking his head as it shot backwards into the night sky. The ice shattered around Ardea as she broke free, breathing heavily as she glared at Toshirou.

"I see this isn't your first time fighting an Arrancar, little one."

"Once you freeze one, you freeze them all," he replied dryly, his tone holding none of the good humor one would expect from that phrase.

"Well then," she said as she held the sword tightly to her chest, looking to all the world like a knight in a coffin, the blade pointing at the asphalt beneath their feet. "I guess you wouldn't be surprised at the sight of an Arrancar's _resurrección, _then."

Toshiro dropped back in a defensive position, preparing himself for the surge of power his opponent would soon receive. She extended both her arms toward him, pointing the tip of the blade at herself.

"Sound off, _Garzon," _she said, plunging the sword into her own gut.

The Arrancar exploded into a huge cloud of smoke. A soft wind blew through the cold street, slowly removing the fog created by the _fracción's_ transformation. Ardea Egretta stepped out from the smoke, her body completely different. Her limbs had all become thinner and more elongated; her long arms doubled her reach, her stilt-like legs making her almost three times Toshirou's height. Her fingers were now as long as knives, with claws on the ends making them just as useful. Her mask had extended to cover both of her eyes and cheeks with the beak extending on both sides of her nose, giving her the appearance of a masquerader's Pinocchio. One large white wing extended from her right shoulder, the feathers tipped with red.

"This is my true power, Shinigami," she said as she rushed forward, swiping her long fingers at him. He slashed back at them, but her _hierro _was stronger than he expected and his blade did nothing as it slid off her slender digits. She flicked her shoulder forward at him, catching him off guard as the red-tipped wing flew down at his torso. He leapt backwards, but only enough to be spared a critical gash. He bled from the wound she'd opened down his chest as he continued his short retreat away from her extended reach.

"Are you frightened, Captain Hitsugaya?" she asked with a low smirk, her face brimming with confidence. "My _Garzon _allows me to—"

"I don't care about your release, Arrancar," Toshirou called out to her. She grimaced at him as he cut her off in the middle of her sentence. "I only care about how long it will take mine to kill you." He stepped back, placing his sword in a thrusting position at his side.

"_Bankai_."

A pair of icy wings swiftly emerged from Toshirou Hitsugaya's back as his power level surged through the roof. His right arm became covered in ice up to the shoulder which continued onto his back and jetted out as a long and icy reptilian tail. He glared at his opponent, her change in attitude visibly different at his increase in power. "_Diguren Hyourinmaru."_

Toshirou rushed her, cruelly and savagely raining his sword down on her hollowed form, causing ice to form on the hands she was using for defense. The tables had completely turned on her; the young captain she had been pushing around the arena had suddenly begun to return the favor. And he was doing a far better job than she had.

Hitsugaya brought his sword down hard, separating three of her fingers from the hand that they'd once belonged to. She looked in shock at her missing digits, her mouth hanging open as blood began to leak out from the newly formed stumps. He used the distraction to slice at her legs, sending her to her knees. Ice began to form from the gash on her thighs, spreading upward to her waist and down to the street. As it merged with the ice already on the ground, leaving her effectively immobilized, she looked up in fear at the little captain in front of her.

His lip curled up at the pleading look. He thought of his lieutenant, his friend and savior Matsumoto Rangiku, dying at the hands of these Arrancar. He wished that she'd been given the chance to plead for her life before she was cruelly slashed out of the sky. The remembrance of her death filled him with a frozen anger. He stared Ardea Egretta in the eye as he walked up to her frozen torso and slowly placed his blade through her throat. Her eyes widened as the shinigami's zanpakuto entered her flesh and she began choking up blood, the deep crimson liquid freezing as it leaked from her mouth down to her icy body. Toshirou swiftly pulled the sword out of the Arrancar's neck, deftly flicked the blood off the blade, and walked away as the ice slowly encroached over her dying body.

He let his bankai melt away gradually as he slowly walked back to the Urahara Shop.

_---------------------------_

_author's note at the end of chapter 13._

_**circumambulation - UR**_


	12. Bring Back the Apocalypse III

_**Bring Back the Apocalypse III:**_

_**Dolorous Stroke**_

Kira Izuru had been debating with Yumichika about the likelihood of Aizen sending Arrancar to attack Karakura. He didn't think it was the course of action that Aizen, or his former captain Ichimaru Gin, would take. But when the Arrancar to his right leapt to his feet quickly, Kira knew he'd been wrong. That thought had only played in Kira's mind for a second before he felt the reiatsu of the Arrancar in the distance. By the time he'd gotten to his feet, Grimmjow and Captain Soi Fon had already rushed out of the front door, followed quickly by Yumichika. He and Hisagi shared a quick glance before taking off without orders.

Kira had felt slightly threatened by Grimmjow this afternoon; not in any violent sense, but his pride was tinged green in envy and blue in doubt. Even though he'd never truly showed it, Kira was very proud of his accomplishments in the Gotei 13, and even prouder of his ability to fight. But when he watched Grimmjow fight Kurosaki Ichigo _and _Hisagi Shuuhei, without requiring any sort of rest between the two opponents, Kira had been left with a sense of doubt. _Could I fight like that if I had to? Would I be able to take that many hits and keep on fighting? _Now, as he rushed into battle without any idea of what the enemy held in store for him, he was eager to find out.

He and Hisagi burst out into the cold night, scanning the sky for any sign of the Arrancar. They quickly leapt up to a nearby rooftop and searched their surroundings for the reiatsu that felt so close. Kira's eye caught the movement of Captain Hitsugaya as he came out of the Shop and took off to the south. As his gaze returned to the sky ahead of him, he saw a pair of small silhouettes above them, almost hidden completely in the brightness of the moon. He squinted his eyes and realized that the two figures were charging down toward Shuuhei and himself at an alarming rate.

"Hisagi, move!" he yelled as he leapt backwards. His fellow lieutenant did not even look around himself before leaping; he simply moved in the same direction as Kira. As soon as they'd jumped backwards, the two Arrancar crashed into the same spot the two shinigami had been in. As the dust settled from the broken roofing tiles, the two white-clad hollows stood up, revealing themselves in the light of the full moon. One was an extremely large man, his body solid muscle from his feet up to his bald head. Next to him stood a small girl with long blonde hair, her head barely reaching the chest of the man she stood next to.

"My, my, Bebel," the taller man said to his smaller counterpart, his voice deep and menacing. "We didn't have to go very far to find ourselves some action."

"What makes you think that's lucky, Sonne?" Bebel asked. "Maybe these two are the weakest and got left behind. After all, we're right next to the Urahara Shop. Perhaps all the strong shinigami are off fighting elsewhere?"

"Either way," Sonne replied, twisting his neck to the side to pop the joints, "we found someone to thrash for a while."

"Kira," Hisagi said quietly beside him, "I don't think it's a good idea to fight these two when they're together."

"I agree," Kira responded. "I'm going to head elsewhere. Make sure one of them follows me."

"No problem."

Kira used his _shunpo_ to quickly move from the rooftop that he and Hisagi were sharing with the Arrancar. He soon found himself floating next to a large bridge that stretched across a river. _Did he follow me? Did they gang up on Hisagi? Should I go back?_

The sound of a _sonido_ tearing through the air behind him answered his question. Kira spun, drawing his sword and instinctively raised it in defense. The Arrancar's blade struck his immediately, sending him flying back a few yards. Kira could see his opponent better now as the Arrancar came under the lights cascading off the bridge.

Of the two that had attacked them earlier, Kira's opponent was the giant male Arrancar, Sonne. He wore an ordinary Arrancar outfit; it was almost identical to Grimmjow's, except twice as large. His hollow-hole was in the center of his chest, and the remains of his mask consisted of a double row of white dots that ran from his forehead to the back of his bald scalp. A lavender bar fell vertically from his lower lip to his chin. Kira looked at the sword in Sonne's hand, noting its exceptionally long reach.

"Oi, Shinigami," the Arrancar's voice boomed out. "Are you done lookin' or can we start this shindig?"

"Of course, Arrancar. I would have it no other way."

Kira rushed forward, aiming for his opponent's throat with a vicious lunge, but the Arrancar evaded with a _sonido. _Kira once again turned and blocked, avoiding what would have been his beheading. The force of Sonne's strike had knocked him backwards again. _If he keeps doing that, _Kira thought as he rushed forward again, _I'll be able to… _Kira lunged once more, and once more had to turn and block his opponent's vicious counter-attack, sending him flying back. Only this time Kira had a kidou spell ready.

"_Hadou _number four," he yelled as he slid back through the air, pointing a stable index finger at his enemy. "_Byakurai!" _A solid stream of white lightning flashed through the air from his fingertip, slamming into the Arrancar and sending him falling into the river. As the water settled, Kira watched the surface of the water for the Arrancar to reemerge, waiting for the right time to strike.

Again the sound of a _sonido _manifested itself behind Kira, but this time he was too surprised to turn.

Kira flew forward, blood falling from the fresh gash on his back and into the river. He faced the Arrancar, breathing heavily as he spoke.

"I don't think we'll be able to keep going like that, Arrancar." Kira regarded him coolly, despite the pain he felt in his back.

"You're right…" the large Arrancar trailed off thoughtfully. "I know this will sound strange, shinigami, but I would like to know your name. I like to know the name of every man I kill."

Kira smirked. "That's strange, Arrancar. A comrade of mine always told me that you were supposed to tell your name to the opponent fist. That way when their intestines end up on the floor in front of them, they'll know the name of the man who did it." The Arrancar returned Kira's smirk with a soft and humored chuckle. "I'm Kira Izuru," he continued, "Lieutenant of the third division."

"Well," his opponent replied, "I guess I can do it your way. My name is Sonne der Kessel, brother and loyal _fracción _of the sixth espada, Geier. If a shinigami should wish to know the name of the man who killed him, it will do you well to remember mine." He smirked and raised his blade high over his head. "And, if you so desire, you can also remember the name of my sword." Kira inhaled sharply and braced himself, remembering the last fight he'd had with a released Arrancar.

"Flutter, _Polilla"_

Kira was no less amazed at witnessing Sonne's transformation as he'd been watching Abirama Redder's only a week ago. The Arrancar sprouted four large, circular wings from his back, while he grew an extra pair of arms; his hands morphed into paddle-shaped discs as the double row of ivory dots on his head each shot forth antennae; his mouth was soon covered by the bone-like material that made up his mask, his jaws replaced by a pair of boney mandibles. There were intricate lines up and down his arms and legs— tattoos the same lavender that had been on his chin.

"Since you are a lieutenant, Kira Izuru, I will not hold back on you; I will end this battle right now with my _Polilla's _strongest attack." Kira brought his sword up in defense, bracing himself for whatever attack would be coming his way. The wings on Sonne's back began to flap, causing a fine and golden dust to encircle the Arrancar. He then placed his four paddle-like hands into the dust where it collected into compressed spheres. He pulled one arm back, as if he meant to throw the dust ball at Kira.

"_Dejar de Polvo!"_

Kira realized then that Sonne _did _in fact intend to hurl the balls of powder at him. He descended out of the path of the first of the flying spheres, and managed to barely dodge the second and third, but the fourth hit him squarely in the left arm. Kira leapt backwards, examining his arm. When nothing seemed to happen, he looked up at his opponent who was laughing. Sonne looked back down at Kira and clicked his mandibles together, producing a sharp clack.

Immediately following the sound that came from the Arrancar's mouth, Kira's left arm went completely limp. His eyes quickly shot down to his limb, noting its sudden dead-weight. He looked up in shock as Sonne laughed hard while he explained the technique to him.

"The power of my _Dejar de Polvo, _as you've no doubt noticed, is the ability of paralysis. The golden pollen that falls from my wings and surrounds me can immobilize anything it touches. Be glad that it did not land on your chest, Kira Izuru. I would hate to watch you suffocate while your chest failed to breathe." The Arrancar smirked down as the shinigami he began balling up more of the powder. "But I'd hate it even more if I missed your chest again."

_Shit, _Kira thought as he watched his opponent begin the attack. He began thinking of how to avoid these balls of paralyzing pollen and get close enough to use the special abilities of his zanpakuto on Sonne. A million plans raced through his mind and he dismissed them all within nanoseconds. He no longer cared about Grimmjow or Hisagi. He knew that he'd never be the great and ferocious fighter that either of them was, but he didn't care. Kira Izuru was something that, in a thousand years of harsh practice, neither of them would ever become.

He was a brilliant strategist.

"Raise your head," he began quietly, his opponent throwing the first of the poisonous spheres towards him.

"_Wabisuke."_

As the ball of toxic pollen flew at his head, Kira simply fell backwards into the water. Sonne screamed angrily as he fell, hurling the other three bullets as quickly as possible after the falling shinigami. Kira slammed into the water, his narrowed body sliding almost fifty feet below the surface as the balls of golden dust smacked harmlessly against the surface. Sonne flew down to the surface of the water, his eyes searching into the dark water for his shinigami opponent.

"I know I didn't hit you with that first shot, Kira Izuru! You can't stay under the water forever!" He began flapping his wings, creating the pollen he needed to attack. He soon began gathering the dust into his hands as he waited for the surfacing of his enemy. A splash rang out behind him and he whirled around, hurling a poisonous ball at the sound. As soon as he realized that Kira had not emerged, another splash sounded to his right, warranting yet another wasted pollen sphere. Sonne smirked as he spoke to the water directly beneath his feet. "I know what you're doing, Kira Izuru. You're trying to get me to waste my attack so you can come up to—"

He was cut off as another splash erupted immediately beneath him, this time containing the lieutenant of the third division in its waters. The shinigami flew up past the confused Arrancar, who still had two more balls of pollen at his disposal. The first of which he hurled at Kira, planting it directly on his back.

"You wasted your surprise attack, Shinigami," Sonne called up at his opponent, "now I've hit you directly with my _Polvo_! You'll be dead within minutes!" He began laughing at Kira. But when the shinigami turned and began to speak, seemingly unaffected by the paralysis, the Arrancar's smile quickly faded. "How are you—?"

"I have two things to tell you, Sonne," Kira said harshly as he dripped water down into the river below him. "The first is about your pollen; I've discovered that water, or anything covered in water, is impervious to the paralysis. From under the waves, I could see the dust swiftly disintegrate as it touched the surface of the river." Kira smiled lightly as his opponent's face twisted in anger.

"The second thing, Arrancar," he said, gesturing his square-hooked zanpakuto at his enemy, "is about my sword. On my way up here from the water, I sliced your chest and arms a total of seven times." Sonne looked down at his body; to his surprise, he had small rivulets of blood trickling from several small wounds. "They were small and shallow, so I doubt you noticed with your _hierro. _But my _Wabisuke _doesn't need to make the cuts deep to take effect."

Sonne's eyes widened in fear as he felt his body grow heavier, and he lost the ability to hover over the water beneath him and plunged in, swiftly sinking the sixty feet to the bottom. Kira slid his zanpakuto back into its sheath as he spoke softly to the surface of the river. "I'm sure that, by now, you've realized that you are way too heavy to swim back up to the surface, Arrancar."

_I'd like to see Grimmjow do that, _Kira Izuru thought idly as he sat on the edge of the bridge, watching Sonne der Kessel slowly drown.

-------------------------

_author's note at the end of chapter 13._

_**dolorous stroke - secret chiefs 3**_


	13. Bring Back the Apocalypse IV

_**Bring Back the Apocalypse IV:**_

_**The Left Hand of Nothingness**_

He had been itching for a fight all afternoon.

Despite his outward appearance and the associations that came with it – the pretty boy, the pacifist, the fragile one – he was still a member of the eleventh division. And as a member of Captain Zaraki's squad, he was always lusting for battle. He simply played the part of the quiet and the reserved and the prim-and-proper. He did this because Ikkaku needed someone to be his rock; he needed someone to look strong next to. His best friend needed a gentle sidekick, a true _yin _to his _yang_.

But deep inside his heart, Ayasegawa Yumichika was a cold and ruthless killer.

Watching Grimmjow tear his way through Ichigo and Hisagi had flipped a switch in him. Watching the three fight had turned on Yumichika's killing drive. When he brought up the idea that Aizen might send forces to the real world in retaliation for them spying on him, he had absolutely no factual basis for the theory. It was simply him hoping for the opportunity to slaughter an Arrancar. And now that his _Ruriiro Kujaku _was common knowledge and he no longer had to hide his true strength, he was eager to draw more enjoyment out of his next kill.

So when Grimmjow bolted up from the seat to his left, Yumichika knew his hopes had come true. The Arrancar streaked out of the Shop followed quickly by the captain of the second division. _Like I'll be left behind, _he thought as he swiftly took up a place behind them. The trio was soon outside of the shop, Grimmjow immediately disappearing in a flash of _sonido. _

"Ayasegawa, make sure that—" Captain Soi Fon began, turning to him.

"Sorry, Captain," Yumichika interrupted as he used _shunpo _to vanish before her. He could feel the reiatsu of the Arrancar; there were six of them ahead, all of them extremely strong. _But which one is the strongest, _he thought as he eagerly searched through the air for their energy, wanting the best fight he could find. _Which one is— _his thoughts were interrupted at the sound of a _sonido_ to his left. He snapped his head around in time to see an Arrancar flying alongside him.

"_Hola,_ Shinigami." the Arrancar said, smirking viciously.

Yumichika barely had enough time for his eyes to widen before the Arrancar threw a foot into his ribcage, sending him hurtling towards the ground. He slammed into the dirt of a public park, creating a small crater. He looked up and saw his opponent speeding toward him, his sword aimed directly for his torso.

_Perfect._

Yumichika leapt up from the ground and passed the hollow as he flipped his body in the air, leaving himself completely vertical as his feet pointed towards the moon. He looked down into the smiling Arrancar's eyes as he removed his sword from its sheath.

"Bloom, _Fuji Kujaku._"

Yumichika's zanpakuto formed a sickle at the command and, with a quick flick of the wrist, he split it into four blades while simultaneously placing a gash in the cheek of the Arrancar below him. Yumichika completed the long summersault and landed on his feet, immediately blocking and dodging the sword strikes from his bleeding opponent. The Arrancar continued to rush him, swinging his sword viciously as he spoke.

"Nice move, Shinigami. I'll make sure that doesn't happen again!" He screamed as a _cero _formed in his free hand. Yumichika's eyes widened and he swiftly leapt to the side, narrowly avoiding the bright red blast. He rolled as he hit the ground and immediately got to his feet. He shot a blast of _kidou _immediately upon standing, catching his opponent off guard. The Arrancar managed to dodge the wave of blue fire, but it had prevented him from once again raining blows down on Yumichika. He regained his stance as Yumichika jumped back.

The two regarded one another coldly, a verbal impasse forming. Yumichika took these few seconds to size his opponent up. He was shorter than the shinigami, perhaps only a few inches taller than Captain Hitsugaya. He wore white hakama with black shoes and a black obi sash around his waist. His shirt was plain white, with the exception of a trio of black lines that ran down the right side of the shirt. The right sleeve was long, hanging down past his hand, while the left sleeve was non-existent, cutting off at the shoulder. He had straight brown hair that hung down to his collar-bones. His hollow mask was a white strip of bone that stretched across his forehead, a pair of small spines extending above each of his eyes. A trio of orange dots tainted his skin below the right eye. The Arrancar grinned youthfully and exuberantly at Yumichika.

"I'll admit it, bro," he said, his attitude striking Yumichika as immature. "I didn't think you'd be able to last even _this _long. I'm impressed."

"Seated officers in the eleventh division," Yumichika said, snarling, "wouldn't lose to a punk kid like you in our sleep. I am Ayasegawa Yumichika, fifth seat of Zaraki Kenpachi's squadron. I would recommend you remember that name; it will be the last you'll ever learn."

"A _fifth _seat?" The Arrancar before him began to chuckle. "Oh no, I'm shaking in my boots!" The young warrior stabbed his sword into the dirt at his feet. "I am Mihael Hornaar, the top _fracción _of the sixth Espada, Geier der Kessel." Mihael knelt down and placed his forehead to the hilt of his zanpakuto as he whispered its name. "Colonize, _Avispa._"

The sword exploded, concealing the young Arrancar in a cloud of smoke. Yumichika leapt up into the air, hovering above the cloud, awaiting his enemy's eminent reemergence into the battle. His eyes scanned the smoke, looking for the slightest of movement. Mihael burst out from the cloud, flying directly at Yumichika, two blades now aimed for his throat. Yumichika deftly dodged the surprise strike, turning to face the opponent who was now behind him.

The Arrancar's transformation shocked him. While his upper body remained primarily the same, his legs had vanished completely. In their place was a large oval shaped mass that started at his waist. There was a large orange band running around the width of this newly-formed abdomen, and a long spike sticking out from the bottom. Mihael had also grown a pair of thin wings, and the twin pair of spikes that jetted from his forehead had elongated into a pair of antennae. _Oh, how unfortunate._ Yumichika found himself sneering inwardly as he inspected his opponent's new form. _He looks like a big bug. How ugly. _Yumichika might have been a man who only put on the front of the pretty boy, but he still appreciated beauty.

And loathed the lack of it.

Mihael soon dived at Yumichika again, the pair of swords slashing like shears. Yumichika leapt to the side, slamming his four blades into his opponent's two as he flew by; the attack threw both combatants spiraling in different directions, Yumichika further up into the sky and Mihael towards the ground. The Arrancar recovered quickly and whirled around, throwing one of his swords at Yumichika. The shinigami had not expected that sort of attack and his block came too late; the blade pierced through his left shoulder, dropping him to the ground.

Yumichika found himself pinned to the ground, once again watching Mihael Hornaar dive at him sword first. He reached over, yanked the blade from his flesh, and rolled out of the way of the attack. The Arrancar slammed into the dirt as Yumichika threw himself to his feet. He raised his arm and slashed his opponent along the arm. Mihael cried out in surprise as blood flew from his _hierro._ He looked up and charged another _cero, _this one forming at the tips of his antennae. Yumichika launched himself back into the air, the red beam passing harmlessly under his feet. He turned and dived back toward his enemy, who had recovered his fallen sword.

Yumichika landed on the ground, swiping at the Arrancar with his quadrupled blades. Mihael smiled devilishly as he used both of his own blades to block each of Yumichika's powerful slashes, his thing wings buzzing furiously as he flew backwards. He soon found an opening and stabbed at the shinigami's gut. The attack was blocked, but gave the young Arrancar the opening he needed to switch to the offensive. He soon had the shinigami on the retreat, the same devilish grin spread across Yumichika's face. The shinigami ducked as both of his enemy's blades came at his neck like a pair of scissors. He threw his hand out at the Arrancar's exposed gut.

"_Hadou _number 31: _Shakkahou!"_ A ball of red fire burst forth from Yumichika's outstretched palm, driving forcefully into Mihael's gut. The Arrancar flew backwards but his wings' furious pounding allowing him to remain in an upright position. He smirked as he looked at his opponent, breathing heavily. Yumichika returned the gesture, his breaths just as labored as the Arrancar's.

"You're not bad," Mihael said with a snicker, "for a fifth seat. As much as I'd love for this little skirmish to continue, I'm afraid I must end our fight now. Sorry, bro." He spit onto the hilt of his zanpakuto, leaving a string of viscous goo on the end of the handle. He hurled the blade at Yumichika once more. He dodged the attack, stepping to his right, and returned his gaze in time to see the other sword flying at his head. He stepped inward, allowing the second blade to fly past his other side.

_Why would he throw both of his blades at me? _Yumichika did not have to wait long for an answer to that thought; the second blade was connected to the other sword by the same string of gooey saliva. _Oh, how revolting, _he thought right before the rope of spittle slammed into his chest and wrapped around his torso, pinning his arms to his sides. He fell backwards and hit the ground as the sticky substance began to spread, quickly cocooning him. By the time Mihael was hovering above him, only his head and hands were sticking out of the vile chrysalis. Yumichika tried wriggling free, but the waxy substance held him fast.

"This is a little attack I like to call _el Sepulcro. _The goo on the ends of my blades, once it touches any part of your body, will quickly entomb you. As long as I wish it, it will be impossible for you to escape me. So now…" he trailed off as he picked up his twin blades, pointing them both at the trapped shinigami, "…I can finish you off however I'd like to." He looked down at Yumichika and frowned. Where he expected there to be a look of terror, he found only a gentle smile. "What the fuck are you smiling about?"

"Split and deviate, _Ruriiro Kujaku."_

The four scythe-like blades in Yumichika's exposed hand disappeared and were replaced by dozens of glowing vines. They shot out in every direction, squirming against the ground, slithering up trees, wrapping themselves around the Arrancar. He looked down in irritation and confusion as one of the vines began to constrict itself around his arm. He shook it off, but another was quick to replace it. And another. And another. Soon he was completely overwhelmed, unable to struggle as they pulled his arms out, leaving him defenseless. In his fight against the vines, he'd lost his concentration on Yumichika, who'd managed to break free from the waxy coffin. Yumichika, still wearing his gentle smile, walked over and held a hand out to one of the vines.

"You see these small flowers?" Yumichika called the Arrancar's attention to the string of blossoms along each the vines. "As each one of these bloom, you will lose some of your spiritual power. If I so desired, I could suck you completely of your life." One of the flowers bloomed, and Yumichika plucked it. He held it out to the frightened Arrancar's face.

"You wouldn't." Mihael said, his voice trembling slightly at his would-be fate. Yumichika only continued his light smile as the vines began to glow green again. The Arrancar yelled out in pain as his energy began to drain rapidly from his body, the small flowers blooming in quick succession. His _resurrección_ melted away, leaving him as the smaller boy-hollow from started to leak from his nose and ears and his eyes rolled into the back of his head.

And then it stopped. The vines uncurled from his limbs and he fell freely down to his knees, struggling to catch his breath. Yumichika's zanpakuto returned to its mono-bladed sickle form as he approached his enemy. He took a bite of the flower in his hand and looked the Arrancar dead in the eye. He then kicked Mihael Hornaar onto his back and placed one knee heavily down on his chest, causing the Arrancar to struggle harder for air. Yumichika's gentle smile faded as he spoke, being replaced by a look of disgust.

"You asked why I was smiling, Arrancar? I feel nothing inside of my heart during a battle. When I fight, I do feel joy for myself and for my zanpakuto, but for my enemy? I feel absolutely nothing," Yumichika said with antipathy, his arm resting on his knee, the tip of his sword resting in the dirt to the left of Mihael's neck. "I was smiling because, simply put, this is my favorite part of being in the Gotei 13…" his lips turned into a snarl as he continued.

"The privilege of killing hollows."

Yumichika's blade quickly raked across the grass, removing the Arrancar's head as it went. Yumichika stood, wiped the blood from his sword, and returned it to its sheath. He turned to walk away when he stopped short, his eyes widening. He quickly closed his eyes and felt out with his mind, hoping to confirm the feeling he'd just had. His eyes flew open as he began sprinting back to the Urahara Shop.

Someone's reiatsu was fading fast.

------------------------------

_author's note_

_ok, so. initially i was going to wait till parts v, vi, and vii were done, but i'm gonna have a busy weekend. so i decided to upload what i had._

_i hope you guys liked those chapters; those were my first attempts at fight scenes, so i'm keepin my fingers crossed that you guys liked em. you can always, you know... review and let me know? purdy plz?_

_i also hope i did a good job of describing what the arrancar looked like without spending too much time in detail. also, too, if anyone out there is pretty good with the art thang, or knows anybody that's good, and you feel like sketching out the arrancar for the audience... gimme a hollar. that ish would be hella tight._

_on an unrelated note, i've been listening to both the "bleach ost 3" and the "ennio morricone remixes vol. 1&2". if you don't have either of those, i'd recommend that you steal them from the internet. er. i mean pay for them at a store._

_the next few will be out by monday. send me some reviews before then and i'll try to get them out sooner._

_droppin' it like it's hot,_

_jta._

_**the left hand of nothingness - the electromagnetic azoth **_


	14. Bring Back the Apocalypse V

_**Bring Back the Apocalypse V:**_

_**Jungle Warfare**_

Even though he never showed it, Hisagi Shuuhei detested battle. He hated the feeling he got while fighting; the pressure to win, the obligation to kill his opponent. He knew that it was for the greater good, to defeat the hollows that he had trained his whole life to vanquish, but he still hated taking their lives. He hated looking into the eyes of his fallen foes as they breathed their last, hated seeing the fear on their faces as he ran his sword through them.

And he truly reviled the fact that he was extremely proficient at it.

So when he found himself standing next to Kira Izuru on a rooftop in Karakura Town, staring down a pair of Arrancar, he felt the familiar detestation for fighting rise slowly in his throat. He began to shake, half with nerves, half with anticipation. He didn't want Izuru to see him like this; he hated when he got the shakes before a fight.

"Kira," he leaned his head closer to his ally, whispering so that the other shinigami wouldn't recognize the fear in his voice. "I don't think it's a good idea to fight these two while they're together."

"I agree." Kira responded, nodding his head, never taking his eyes off the enemies in front of them. "I'm going to head elsewhere. Make sure one of them follows me."

Hisagi was jealous of Kira; both of their captains had betrayed them, abandoned them. Yet Kira Izuru had come out all the stronger because of it, while he slowly steeped himself in self-doubt and pity. Just like he'd done when Soi Fon left.

"No problem," Hisagi replied eventually, but Kira had already vanished in a flash of _shunpo. _Hisagi wondered if he'd even heard him. The giant male Arrancar barked out a laugh and followed Kira.

Hisagi was left with the female Arrancar. She looked far less petite while not standing next to the giant of a man that had just departed. Her blonde hair was pulled back into two long pigtails, both hanging down to the small of her back. She wore a white skirt with black trim along the bottom and a wide black obi sash at the top. Her shirt was sleeveless and shoulder-less, coming down to right above her belly, simply to conceal her ample breasts; her hollow hole was located over her throat. She had mint green eyes, and a pair of similarly colored bands ran across her right cheek, not unlike the black bar that Hisagi himself had over the bridge of his nose. Her mask consisted of three-fourths of a jawbone; she wore the bottom mandible as a necklace while the left side of the upper jaw was fit firmly to her upper lip. Hisagi shuddered noting the sharp and needled teeth that the jawbone contained.

"Ooh, I got the cute one."

Her sudden and ludicrous statement startled Hisagi out of his train of thoughts. He looked at her harshly, his eyes giving no clue to the world at his slight amusement. She must have seen his initial reaction, because she covered her mouth with her hand a giggled sharply.

"I didn't mean to startle you, handsome shinigami. I tend to speak my mind when I shouldn't. Aizen's always fussing at me during meetings." She bowed deeply at him and pulled out her zanpakuto, the short blade sticking out from the back of her hand. "My name is Bebel Caipirinha, _fracción _of the eighth Espada Hermes Inpu. I won't tell you the name of my sword…" she smiled seductively, "…unless you make me."

"Hisagi Shuuhei," he responded, smirking at his quirky enemy, "Lieutenant of the ninth division."

"Oh, the ninth division," she sighed, her voice displaying some disappointment. "I hope you're nothing like Tousen. That would make this fight extremely dull…" She charged him quickly, slashing at him with the sword still held upside-down. He withdrew his own zanpakuto to block, causing her to strike his blade and flip forward, landing on the roof behind him. "…and I hate boring men."

He spun and ran at her, ignoring her words as he jabbed and sliced. She giggled as she blocked his strikes, swiftly dodging and sweeping legs out from under him. He landed on his back as she leapt forward, preparing to ram her sword down into his chest. He threw a leg out, kicked her in the stomach, and rolled back onto his feet. As he stood, he softly spoke an incantation, finishing it as she stood.

"_Bakudo _62: _Hyapporankan!"_

Hisagi had already formed the long staff of blue light by the time Bebel recovered; by the time she'd turned and looked at him, he'd thrown the spell, the rod breaking into dozens of smaller spears; by the time she'd raised her hands to block, she'd been struck and thrown off the roof into a nearby forest. Hisagi quickly used _shunpo _to catch up to her. He softly landed on a thick branch and looked down at his opponent who was pinned to the tree across from him. She looked slightly agitated, but turned her face to him and smiled widely.

"I must say, _señor _Lieutenant," she said with a slight giggle, "you aren't boring at all. If you weren't a shinigami, I might just fall in love with you." She flipped her sword up into the air, speaking to it as it spun. "Melt, _Rocío del Sol!"_

The explosion of her _resurrección _caused the tree on which she was pinned to shatter, splinters flying towards Hisagi, causing him to shield his face and lose track of his Arrancar opponent. By the time the debris had ceased, she was nowhere to be seen. He looked around the dark forest, listening for her movements, watching for any sign of her.

"It's a shame we're in the forest, Hisagi. _Rocío del Sol _feels the most at home in the trees. You lost this battle the moment I landed here." He spun to look for the location of the voice, but it seemed to be coming from all sides. He gripped his sword tightly, concentrating on another incantation. A quick movement in the corner of his eye distracted him from the full _kidou _spell he'd been reciting, and he threw the incomplete fireball out in the direction of the distraction. The forest lit up red, and for a split second he could see Bebel's shadow against a nearby tree. It was in the opposite direction of where he'd aimed.

"You missed me, cutie-pie," her voice called out. "Let me tell you about my _resurrección's _abilities, Lieutenant Shuuhei." Her voice was taunting him as he searched for her reiatsu. "In these trees, I can become invisible. I merge with the trees, flowing seamlessly from one leaf to another. I can control the trees, the vines, the roots." As if to prove her point, one of the nearby branches snapped out and wrapped around his arm. He glanced over at it quickly but before he had time to react, the branch began to burn his skin. He raised his sword to cut it, but the branch released him. She laughed through the trees as she continued. "That was my favorite move, Hisagi! Why do you look so pissed? Do you not like my _Tímido Flores?" _He grabbed his arm and rubbed it where the plant had constricted his skin. It had begun to swell around the burn.

"There's no hope of you seeing me, my adorable enemy. And don't bother searching for my reiatsu; while it tickles me in all the right places, it will do you no good." His teeth clenched as she continued her speech, her voice giddy with lustful excitement. "I've already told you that you've lost."

Hisagi felt the fear sink lower into his stomach. It was worse than when he'd been attacked by giant hollows in the real world; when he'd lead the training unit that was rescued by Aizen, when he'd received the trio of scars along his face. It was worse than the time he'd fought Yumichika; he'd been scared out of his wits when his fellow shinigami had suddenly began sucking the life out of him with his zanpakuto. It was even worse than his fight with Findor Carias last week; being surrounded by jets of water strong enough to cut through metal. So he did what he always did when he became frightened. Hisagi Shuuhei closed his eyes and let the fear consume him.

"Reap, _Kazeshini."_

Immediately after his zanpakuto transformed into the pair of scythes he detested so much, he threw the one in his right hand at the nearest tree. The sharp blade sliced seamlessly through the foliage as Hisagi yanked the chain that it was connected to, calling it back. As the first blade was reclaimed by his right hand, he slung the scythe in his left hand forward. Several trees fell at its touch. He pulled the chain and threw his right blade. He managed to swiftly cut down half of the forest by the time his opponent realized what he was doing. A branch reached out and wrapped around his left leg. He recalled a blade and swiped down at the deadly vine, leaping out of the forest as he did so. He was above the forest when he summoned forth the _soukatsui _spell; a wave of blue flames erupted from his outstretched hands, crashing into the woods, pummeling down the trees.

Hisagi did not wait for the smoke to clear as he flew down into the wreckage of the forest. He could feel her reiatsu now, and he threw his blade into the dust where he felt she was. His blade struck something he couldn't see as he hit the ground in the middle of the ruined woods, waiting for the smoke to clear. His eyes strained against the low visibility as he recalled his scythe. When it reached his waiting hand, he saw that there was blood on the blade.

The fog soon cleared and he got a look at his opponent's new form for the first time. She looked primarily unchanged, but her arms had turned into long white vines with dozens of tendrils at the end in place of fingers. He saw a long gash running along her torso, obviously caused by his _Kazeshini. _She was breathing heavily, panic in her eyes at the loss of her advantage.

He threw one of his blades at her but she managed to leap out of the way. As he pulled the chain back, she ducked down, the blade sailing harmlessly over her head as she slammed her fist into the dirt. Hisagi jumped up from the ground, but the speed of the attack overwhelmed him and the white tendrils of her hand wrapped around his waist, burning his flesh as he was dragged back down to the earth. The fingers slammed him into the ground and released him. He struggled for breath as she rushed at him, planting her foot solidly into his ribcage and sending him flying across the field.

He managed to land on his feet, but he'd had the wind knocked out of him completely and he was dizzy from the lack of oxygen. He could see Bebel's white figure approaching rapidly, but his vision was blurred. He threw his blade out at her but she leapt deftly to the side while continuing her sprint towards him. His vision cleared just in time for him to yank his scythe back at her. She dodged, allowing the blade to once more fly over her head.

_Too bad, cutie-pie, _Hisagi thought as he threw the second blade at her before he'd retrieved the first. Bebel's eyes widened in surprise, telling him that she hadn't expected him to release both of his scythes. She leapt from her crouch, the second blade missing her. But Hisagi had already retrieved the first blade and thrown it at her; the timing was immaculate and she didn't have the time to dodge this blade. It raked across her gut, her _resurrección _shattering as massive amounts of blood spilled from the wound and she fell back to the earth below. He approached her quivering form, picking up the pair of scythes he had released from his hands.

"I'm sorry, my adorable opponent. I guess I was too exciting for you." He looked right into her frightened, dying eyes as he spoke. He couldn't help himself; he hated the look but needed to see it. Otherwise the victory didn't seem real. He looked around, making sure no one could see him before he returned his gaze to the dying woman. He whispered an incantation while she struggled to get up. He finished it and turned his back on her, naming the spell as he walked away. "_Hadou _90: _Kurohitsugi."_

He didn't even watch as the black sarcophagus rose from the ground to take Bebel Caipirinha's life.

--------------------------------------

_**author's note**_

_alright kiddies, i lied. i busted this chapter out real quick today and figured you loving readers would appreciate if all the fraccion fights got out of the way. also, make sure that you read all four of these chapters before you read the next one. it all ties into chapter 15. _

_i had a lot of fun writing for these characters; it was very refreshing to escape plot and the budding relationship that soi fon and grimmjow are trying to keep afloat. creating those arrancar was a ton of fun too- i got to play with some spanish, which is always a fun replacement to english._

_thanks for all the reviews i've received thus far; you all know who you are (**grinja, black wing**). but this last trio of chapters hasn't gotten too many, so let me reiterate: review. i haven't even started on the conclusion chapter-- so the more reviews i get, the more encouraged i feel to write, and the sooner you get to see what happens next. if i don't get any reviews, i might have to go out after work tomorrow and drink a lot to forget the pain of reviewlessness. and that'll suck for youse guys cuz i'll sleep in my car instead of driving home and writing._

_keep that in mind,_

_jta._

_**jungle warfare - estradasphere**_


	15. Bring Back the Apocalypse VI

_**Bring Back the Apocalypse VI:**_

_**Vajra/Zulfiqar**_

She didn't even think before she ran out of the room. She didn't consider her duties as a captain nor her responsibilities to the other members of the team. She only knew that they had been right and Aizen was making his first move.

Soi Fon had been silently flirting with Grimmjow while Yumichika and Kira debated on the likelihood of an Arrancar attack coming so soon. The conversations had begun to bore her and she'd found her eyes slinking across Urahara's small tea table and landing on Grimmjow's chest. He'd been quick to return the favor, his eyes playing with hers from across the room. She'd allowed her eyes to dip below his chest and trail along the muscles of his stomach when he'd leapt to his feet.

Hitsugaya was climbing to stand as Soi Fon snapped to her own two feet. She ran for the door, Grimmjow appearing next to her. She looked at him as they ran silently through the Urahara shop._What is he going to do?_she thought as they approached the outside, the fear of Grimmjow's feigned loyalties surfacing. She'd always felt the doubts, tickling in the back of her mind, ever since Grimmjow had been released into Soul Society. She had no idea how much he could be trusted, especially in a situation like this one. _Is he going to turn on us? Should I use the reiatsu-draining remote? _She looked down at the small remote embedded in her wrist; she wanted to think she could trust Grimmjow enough to not need it, but—

"Hey," Grimmjow said softly as they burst out of the front door, breaking her concentration. He flashed her a wicked smirk, but his eyes contained complete sincerity. "Don't get hurt, little captainess." She didn't even have time to respond before he vanished into thin air. She heard Yumichika step out into the chilly night behind her, but she was concentrating on Grimmjow. She quickly used her _shunpo,_feeling for the enemy as she flew across the city. She smiled to herself as she thought of Grimmjow's last words.

_Like I would lose to an Arrancar._

She soon found herself on top of a roof, staring down a young man with a hole in his stomach. He had shaggy blonde hair and a thin horn protruding from the top of his skull. He wasn't wearing a shirt at all, his chiseled torso completely visible in the full moon. A sky-blue scabbard hung from his black obi. Soi Fon's eyes narrowed as they settled on his torso.

In the center of his chest, directly over his sternum, was a black number Eight.

"An Espada, I would presume?" She looked him dead in the eyes, waiting for him to respond. He stood there with a blank expression on his face for another second or two before his mouth exploded in an enormous grin. Soi Fon was slightly taken aback by his wide smile; it was vicious enough to make one of Grimmjow's worst smirks look like an infant in a photograph.

"You got that right," he finally said, his voice coming out in a slight drawl. "I'm the Octa Espada, Hermes Inpu." His already wide smile grew until he looked manic, his hand reaching down and pulling the zanpakuto out of its sheath. "I see that you are a captain, but I don't really care to know your name."

Soi Fon pulled her own sword out as the man in front of her continued to speak.

"Chew her throat out, _Chacal._"

* * *

_Where the fuck is he?_

Grimmjow could feel the strongest of the Arrancar ahead of him. The fight against Ichigo and Hisagi earlier that day had made him ready to fight; he'd spent the entire afternoon hoping that Aizen would send some of his goons. Grimmjow only hoped that it would be someone worth his time. He slowed down, his body bursting back into sight as he found himself floating in front of two white-clad Arrancar. Grimmjow looked them both over while they, quite obviously, did the same to him.

The Arrancar on the right was a tall and gaunt looking man. His dark green hair hung down over his right eye, hiding what Grimmjow could only assume was his mask. The man wore a jacket much like his own, only a great deal shorter in length, coming up only to his ribs. His sword, still in its lavender sheath, was held in his hands, and his hollow-hole was located in the center of his chest.

The Arrancar on the left was slightly shorter than Grimmjow, but he had a larger build. His jacket was a lot like Ulquiorra's, with the exceptions that it was open and had frills running along the open sides. A twin pair of lime green scabbards hung at his waist, one on each hip. Grimmjow couldn't see his hollow-hole. His mask consisted of a row of ivory spines that studded the left side of his jaw. He had no color marking on his face that Grimmjow could see…

A small black number Six was tattooed on the left side of his neck.

Grimmjow found himself outraged at the knowledge that he was replaced so quickly, and he couldn't figure out why. He no longer felt any loyalty to Aizen; the mere thought of serving under that man filled Grimmjow with fury. So why did he care that he was standing before the new Sexta Espada?

"Just who I was looking for," the Espada said, his voice low and menacing. "Grimmjow Jaggerjaques, _former_sixth Espada. Antonído," he said, casting a quick look at the man next to him, "get this trash out of my sight."

"Yes sir," the _fracción _responded in an effeminate but apathetic voice. He pulled his blade out of the scabbard and rushed at Grimmjow. The blade came close to slicing Grimmjow, but the former Espada stepped aside effortlessly as his opponent missed him completely. Grimmjow, his hands in his pockets, quickly used a _sonido_to appear directly in front of Antonído. The Arrancar's eyes widened in surprise as Grimmjow flashed an enormous smirk, removed his right hand from the pocket it was in, and drilled it through the chest of the _fracción._There was a moment of silence as Grimmjow stared into the eyes of the man whose sternum his hand was currently speared through; Antonído made no sound as the blood slowly leaked out of the wound, running down his stomach and along Grimmjow's forearm. Grimmjow swiftly tore his hand from his opponent's flesh, blood trailing through the air as he retracted his arm and his enemy plummeted to the ground.

"I hope that you can do better," Grimmjow said as his lips curled up into a snarl, "Sexta Espada." The bald man in front of him laughed boisterously before unsheathing his two blades. Grimmjow followed suit, pulling _Pantera_from its scabbard.

"I guess it's time for a proper introduction, then. My name is Geier der Kessel. And I've been sent here to kill you."

Grimmjow growled at the man in front of him. He was filled with so many emotions: anger at the fact he could be replaced so easily; fear for his life and Soi Fon's and, strangely, for the rest of the team; excitement for his first fight to the death since the battle with Ichigo in _Las Noches;_ sorrow in the idea that, with this assassin before him, his old life was truly at an end.

But above it all, more than anything, he was goddamned pissed. He was absolutely _livid;_some half-rate Arrancar thought that just because he got tossed into Grimmjow's place in the Espada that it meant he could even _touch _him? _Fuck that._

He was so caught up in the emotions that he didn't notice when he leveled his sword at his side, the fingers on his left hand clawing down the blade of his zanpakuto. The words escaped his mouth so effortlessly, that he hadn't even realized he'd said them.

"Grind, _Pantera!"_

His sword melted in his hand, the white armor climbing up his arm and enveloping the rest of his body. It felt good; a few days ago, he'd been afraid he would never see this side of himself. And as his opponent began to summon his own release, Grimmjow Jaggerjaques could only throw his head back and laugh maniacally.

The king had returned.

* * *

Soi Fon dodged another blast of energy as she leapt from hiding place to hiding place. She ducked her head out, regarding her opponent analytically from her spot behind a boulder. His_resurrección_had changed him drastically; he had grown a third arm from his chest, and his entire body was covered in white armor. His teeth had sharpened into fangs that adorned a mouth that was now more like a snout. His shaggy brown hair had grown longer and he had a tail which ended in a sharp point. In fact, had Soi Fon seen Grimmjow's released state, she would liken Hermes Inpu's _Chacal _to _Pantera_.

"Are you having trouble, Nameless Captain?" The voice called out, distorted by the change in his facial structure. "Or are you so scared that you have to hide?"

His attacks had varied greatly from bout to bout. In the first match-up between them, he'd done nothing but kick at her, the razor sharp claws on his feet slashing up her uniform. After a quick retreat, he'd come at her again. This time he'd used a combination of melee attacks; after Soi had fought his legs alone for fifteen minutes, she'd assumed he was a kicker. So when he threw that first punch, it landed squarely in her jaw. She was still aggravated about that hit; she was caught off guard when she shouldn't have been.

And now he began throwing beams of energy out of his three hands. He'd called the attack _Nueve Arcos,_and it had completely surprised her. She was about to land her first blow with _Suzumebachi_on him, the stinger headed directly for his stomach. But when she was less than three feet away from the target, the hand on his third arm reached out at her and blasted her out of the sky with a powerful beam.

Ever since then, Soi Fon had been on the retreat. She had leapt out every now and again, to see if she could get behind him, but the moment he laid his eyes upon her she would be assaulted by more attacks. She dodged from behind the boulder she'd sought refuge behind and threw out a binding spell, _shtotsusansen._The trio of yellow triangles flew from her outstretched hands, aiming to pin her enemy to the nearest surface. But the Arrancar countered with three simultaneous blasts from his three palms. Soi Fon's spell was blasted out of the sky, but it had provided her the distraction she'd needed. She quickly flash-stepped behind him and managed to get one of the hornet's crests to bloom on the Espada's hard white flesh.

He felt the dagger pierce his skin and threw a leg out behind him, landing his foot in her gut. She flew backwards, her body striking the rock she'd hoped to trap him against. The Eighth Espada wasted no time as he threw out a trio of tripled blasts, three at a time after three at a time, into the wreckage where the Captain of the second division lay.

Or so he thought.

She was soon behind him again, her stinger aiming for the same spot. He leapt out of her attack range and glared at her from his safer distance.

"I figured out your moves, Espada," she said confidently. "While it is a tremendous obstacle for me to fight against an opponent with a projectile weapon, not to mention a huge pain in my ass," she smiled as she spoke, thinking about how she'd picked that up from Grimmjow, "I believe I've discovered how to kill you."

"Don't sound so cocky, you little bitch," the indignant Arrancar spat.

She tore off her captain's haori and closed her eyes as she continued. "I didn't want to do this; this technique isn't exactly…" She trailed off as she opened her eyes and looked into her opponents. Her arms began to glow with the power of _shunkou._"…perfected."

It was a true statement if she'd ever uttered one. The last time she'd used this technique, she'd almost blown her own arm off; she had stepped in to fight Halibel after Hitsugaya had fallen to her blade. Soi Fon had put too much power into her right hand and the female Espada had blocked her strike, causing most of the powerful energy to rush back up her arm and tear off of her body after leaping from her shoulder. If Soi Fon had been any less experienced with _shunkou,_she'd have truly lost her arm at the collarbone.

Now was a different story, however. Soi Fon vanished from sight in a blur of _shunpo,_ her movements greatly enhanced by the energy flowing through her body. The Espada in front of her did not even notice her vanish until _Suzumebachi_was thrust into his stomach. Blood escaped from his lips as the black flower tattooed itself onto his body. He tried to move against her but she held him still, her hand hidden inside his gut, her face inches from his, her arm covered in his blood. She glared into his eyes and spoke very harshly as her lips turned into a snarl.

"I am Soi Fon, Captain of the second division, as well as commander of the Secret Mobile Operations." His eyes widened as she continued, almost in frightened recognition. "My zanpakuto assures death in two hits; if I pierce your flesh in the same location twice…" she grinned devilishly, "… you'll be a dead man." She pulled her hand out of his stomach. Her smile remained as the black crest on his stomach slowly began to turn white. Hermes Inpu's eyes then rolled into the back of his head as he fell to the ground.

Soi Fon hadn't intended for it to happen, but when she'd stabbed him the second time, the force of the _shunkou_had been strong enough to send the stinger of _Suzumebachi_all the way through his body and into the crest already located on his back. She resealed her blade and slid it into the sheath that hung horizontally on her lower back.

_I wonder,_she thought as she felt around for reiatsu flares. Everyone seemed to still be alive. From what she could discern, Hitsugaya and Hisagi had returned to the Shop, while the other three were still out. Kira wasn't fighting, but had not yet returned to Urahara's place; but she could still feel the spikes in reiatsu indicating that Yumichika and Grimmjow were still fighting. _I'd better go see if Yumichika needs any help,_she thought, as she felt for his exact location. _I'm sure Grimmjow will be fine on his—_Yumichika's reiatsu suddenly dropped off; his fight was over and, as Soi Fon felt, he had been victorious. _Might as well go check on Grimm,_she thought as she flash-stepped to where Grimmjow was fighting his opponent.

* * *

The fight was already over. Grimmjow was just playing around now.

Geier's _resurrección_ had been impressive, he could admit. When his zanpakuto, _Buitre,_ had been released, Grimmjow had been momentarily stunned. His opponent was covered in white feathers from the waist down, and a pair of large white wings sprouted from his back. He lunged at Grimmjow, using brute strength and placing an overwhelming amount of power behind his sword strokes.

But the former Sexta Espada was simply too fast for the current one.

Now Grimmjow was toying around with him, beating him slowly, and exacting revenge on the man who replaced his seat in Aizen's kingdom. But after planting a fist into his opponent's gut elicited hardly any response, Grimmjow decided he was bored. Geier, who was laying down on the ground, looked up at the cat-like warrior that stood above him. Grimmjow leaned down and smiled viciously at his fellow Arrancar.

"Later, _Espada._"

Grimmjow formed a _cero_and, with a practiced precision, removed Geier der Kessel's head. He stood up and resealed his zanpakuto, the white armor slipping away from his form as it returned to the form of a sword. He looked down at the dead Espada at his feet. _That was my replacement? I thought Aizen could do better than that._ He felt slightly nostalgic at the memory of serving under the traitorous shinigami.

"Grimmjow!"He spun to see Soi Fon approaching him. He didn't say anything as she walked up to him. She seemed uncharacteristically chatty, however. "I thought you were still fighting. I could feel your—"

The words stopped in her mouth, replaced by blood as the Arrancar's blade stuck out from her chest.

* * *

_review._

_**vajra - secret chiefs 3**_

_**zulfiqar - secret chiefs 3**_


	16. Hold On, Be Strong

_**Hold On, Be Strong**_

Grimmjow pulled his blade from the flesh, blood running down the sharpened edge. He looked down at the body of the second division captain, the body of Soi Fon, and he found himself paralyzed at her still form.

Grimmjow hadn't quite killed Antonído, the green haired _fracción _of Geier der Kessel. He had been so distracted by the fight against the Espada that he hadn't noticed that a sliver of reiatsu remained in the man he'd just impaled. And when his master had fallen to Grimmjow's hand, Antonído managed to crawl up behind the former Sexta Espada. Grimmjow had been lost in his thoughts when Soi Fon appeared. He'd felt so homesick, so alone and so betrayed, that he couldn't even find the words to greet his favorite Captainess.

So he didn't notice when Antonído stood up behind them and plunged his zanpakuto through her.

Grimmjow had no issues of paralysis as Soi Fon fell to the ground; he swiftly thrust his blade into the head of the Arrancar that had stabbed her. The _fracción_died immediately, but it didn't stop Grimmjow from angrily stabbing him three more times. But now he stood, his body frozen as he looked at her motionless form on the grass below. His mind still felt hazy as he bent down to pick her up in his arms, her blood flowing freely from the entry wound on her back, the blood from her chest leaking down onto him. She looked up at him, her eyes slightly unfocused but still trained sharply on his. She smiled faintly at him, causing him to inhale in hope.

"Sorry…" she trailed off as her eyes closed. "I got hurt."

"Don't you say sorry to me," he said, hoping that his voice sounded more confident than he felt. "Don't you dare be sorry for anything, Soi." His voice wavered slightly as he spoke. She opened her eyes again, briefly, before she closed them once more, her face tightening in pain. His chest was on fire as he looked down at her— he knew he had to get her back to everyone else, but his legs seemed to be frozen.

"What the hell happened?" Grimmjow snapped his head up from the injured woman in his arms to see Yumichika in front of him; the shinigami's face the definition of confusion.

"What the fuck do you think happened?" Grimmjow snapped back, angrily. "She got stabbed. We need to get her back to that Sandal and Hat wearin' guy. Now."

Grimmjow could see the slight amount of disbelief in the young man's eyes; he knew that the shinigami's train of thought ran towards the idea of Grimmjow being responsible. He wanted to squash those doubts as soon as he could, so he took charge and demanded that she be healed immediately.

And that wasn't just to clear his name.

* * *

"She should be okay, everyone. Tessai is a great healer."

They were all sitting in Urahara's back lot, waiting for the news to be official. When Grimmjow had first returned to the Shop, he'd been met with a stunned silence that was only broken when Soi Fon cried out in pain in his arms. Urahara's large assistant, Tessai, quickly appeared and snatched the captain out of the Arrancar's hands and ushered her into another room. Grimmjow had gone to follow, but the door was slammed in his face. He turned around slowly to find the other four shinigami glaring at him.

"Fuck off," he grumbled as he attempted to stride past the group. "I didn't fucking do it." He ended up face to face with Hisagi, the shinigami looking steadily into his eyes. Grimmjow squared himself up to the lieutenant and returned the look, his eyes promising the shinigami a painful death if he didn't move. Hisagi maintained the glare for a moment longer before he wordlessly stepped aside, allowing Grimmjow to step outside.

The full moon was at the top of the sky. Grimmjow stood out back with his hands in his pockets and thought idly of Hueco Mundo and that crescent moon that was forever held in the air. Fortunately, this moon would soon start slowly sinking its way to the horizon, the perfect white orb receiving the respite that the hollow-world's moon never would. His mind drifted back to Soi Fon undergoing the healing techniques inside the "candy shop" behind him. He could feel her reiatsu fluctuating as that Tessai guy did… whatever the hell he was doing behind that closed door. But for the most part, he could feel her energy was at a safe level. He could also hear the others, who had sat down at a table behind him, speaking highly of Urahara's assistant. Everything was pointing toward her being okay. He could relax a little as he gazed intently on the falling moon.

But when Urahara poked his head out from the store and announced that she _should_ be fine, Grimmjow still felt an enormous weight lift from his shoulders. He felt like Soi Fon being injured was his fault; he wouldn't have felt all that great if she died. He heard the rest of the group rise from their seats and walk inside to talk to Urahara, about what he had no idea. He found himself staring at the moon alone. It didn't matter; Grimmjow didn't plan on talking to the others anyway.

So he was surprised when he heard the group return outside after a few minutes. And he was _completely _shocked when he heard one of them walk up behind him.

"Oi, Grimmjow."

It was Hisagi Shuuhei. Grimmjow did not respond verbally but his head turned slightly, enough to see the lieutenant out of the corner of his eye. Hisagi's arm extended toward him, a brown bottle in his hand. Grimmjow glanced down at it and then back at Hisagi, his eyes regarding him confusedly before returning his eyes to the moon.

"The fuck is that?"

"It's a beer," Hisagi responded sternly. "Captain Soi Fon is currently asleep, but she's planned to make a full recovery. Everyone else in the defense party effectively won their battles, without casualty or serious injury." Hisagi frowned at the man before him, frustrated that he didn't seem to be making himself clear to the impassive figure illuminated by the moonlight. He cleared his throat before continuing. "Our mission was a success, drink a beer with us."

Grimmjow maintained his steadfast stare into the night sky. Hisagi lowered the beer and turned to walk away. The lieutenant stopped and turned back, speaking once more to the former Espada.

"Soi Fon woke up when I went into the room." Grimmjow broke his fixation with the lunar surface and turned his whole body to face Hisagi Shuuhei. "She was weak, but she…" Hisagi's eyes cut down and to the left, "…she asked me to thank you for her. She said you saved her." Hisagi returned his eyes to Grimmjow's, his faced softened in respect, before he turned away and walked back to the others. "You have a beer waiting for you, if you want it," he called over his shoulder, his voice far more jovial than it had been only a moment earlier.

Grimmjow looked down at his feet. _She wanted to thank me? My carelessness almost got her killed and she says I saved her? _He looked back up at the table of quietly celebrating shinigami, noticing as they shot quick glances his way. _And now they want me to celebrate with them?_

_I can live with that._

He sighed and smiled as he walked over to the table. Hisagi extended his hand once more, offering the beer to his new comrade. Grimmjow took it with a slight nod and sat down, briefly enjoying the warm glances the other shinigami at the table shot his way.

* * *

She hated seeing her old friend like this. She hated not being able to talk to the woman in the bed. She hated the tears that welled in her own eyes.

And Shihouin Yoruichi truly hated that deep-down, Soi Fon still resented her.

Yoruichi couldn't have possibly told Soi Fon about why she'd left, about her helping Kisuke escape to the real world, about the _hogyouku_ and the Vizards. She knew how much the girl admired her, worshipped her. Even loved her; Yoruichi knew that if she so much as told her young pupil about what had happened, Soi Fon wouldn't have even asked to accompany her. She would have simply followed. And Yoruichi wouldn't be able to forgive herself if her little prodigy had dropped such a promising future and followed her into banishment.

_I'm so proud of her, _she thought as she watched Soi Fon sleep, the cold moonlight pouring onto her small body from the window across the room.

Yoruichi had done a fair amount of weeping after the group escaped into the real world. Once they had "cured" Hirako and the others, she had been left alone with her thoughts; she and Kisuke, while long-time friends, had yet to become lovers. In fact, he hadn't spoken for the first few months, his usually sharp mind still struggling to cope with their new fates. They had all spent centuries trying to ascend into the upper echelons of Soul Society, and now their entire life's work had been reduced to a pile of ashes.

She had never felt as alone as she did the day that she, Kisuke, and Tessai sat in the abandoned building that would later become the Urahara Shop, wishing that Soi Fon would magically appear. Her desire to laugh at her long-time friend's unwavering sense of formality had never been so pressing, her need for the ever-reliable companionship the young woman gladly provided was unbearable. She was miserable without her friend. And she'd forced Soi Fon to bear that same misery.

And Yoruichi still hated herself for that.

_If I could only let her know how much she means to me. If she could only know how sorry I am._

"Hey," Kisuke's gentle voice flowed into the room. She turned to see him leaning on the doorframe, his normal outfit now reduced simply to the black pants. He walked into the room, her eyes sweeping over his hardened torso before he wrapped his arms around her. He kissed the small of her neck before he rested his chin on her shoulder, looking at Soi Fon in the bed.

"You ready for bed?" he asked, both of their eyes focused on the girl in front of them.

"Yeah, Kisuke," she replied, a tired sigh escaping her lips. "I'll be in soon."

He kissed her neck again and unwrapped his arms from around her waist. He walked to the door and turned, glancing kindly at his lover. "She'll be fine, Yoruichi," he said, his voice soft but reassuring. When she didn't respond, he slowly walked back to his room. _I really do miss her._ A single tear slipped down her cheek as she stepped closer to the bed. _If she could only forgive me,_she thought as she bent down and kissed her former apprentice on the forehead.

"I'm truly sorry, my little hornet."

Shihouin Yoruichi walked slowly to bed.

* * *

The quintet had imbibed quite a substantial amount of alcohol, gradually leading the conversation from idle shinigami business, to fight stories, to more… primal topics. Currently, Grimmjow was watching two of the shinigami verbally spar one another in the latter subject.

Which was proving to be rather amusing.

"Wait… why didn't you fuck her?" Kira was pointing an accusing finger at Yumichika, his words slightly slurred.

"Because," Yumichika responded as he took a swig from his beer, "she's like, my buddy's crush. He loves the girl. That makes her off limits. Or something. Right, Captain?"

"Don't ask me," Captain Hitsugaya said as he sipped from his glass of Pinot Noir, the glass of red wine in his hand making him look far more dignified than the rest of them. "I don't participate in such debaucheries."

"Well, not any more you don't," Hisagi butted in. "When you were in the academy, I heard you had quite the line of women outside your dorm room."

"And now I don't participate in such debaucheries," the young captain repeated himself, a small smile playing on his lips as he spoke. "Besides, I _do _agree with Ayasegawa. By turning her down, he's respecting Renji's feelings."

"Fuck that," Kira burst out. Grimmjow chuckled as the blonde lieutenant continued, enjoying the difference in personality alcohol seemed to bring. "Are you trying to tell me that he spent all night at a bar with Rukia and then walked her home without the intention of sleeping with her?" His gaze, while slightly askew, returned to the pretty-boy. "Yumi. Really?"

"Why else would I have declined…" Yumichika's mouth curved into a memorable smirk and his eyes cut slightly to the left as her fished for the words, "…her generous offer?"

"I think the girl mashing her face into yours as she tried to untie your belt is more than just a generous offer, Yumichika. I'd say that was the goddamned chance of a lifetime. I mean, come on! Kuchiki Rukia? I would kill to sleep with a noble," Hisagi said as he reached into the cooler for another beer, tossing one to a slightly flustered Yumichika as he continued. "Besides, you and Renji aren't that great of friends. He's always been closer to Ikkaku."

"What does that matter? Abarai was once a fellow member of the eleventh division and has always been a friendly acquaintance of mine. Having a stronger relationship with my best friend or not, I still see him as my friend." Yumichika opened his bottle as Hisagi shook his head in disbelief.

"And?"

"And he should have fucked her," Kira interrupted, polishing off his beer and opening a new one.

"Maybe I don't see Rukia that way."

"I don't see why you shouldn't," Kira said, obviously irritating Yumichika for the amusement of the rest of the guys. "When _was _the last time you got any, Yumi?"

"Well I don't have a subservient little fuck-buddy like you do, Kira," Yumichika snapped as he raised the bottle to his lips. He froze and his eyes widened as he realized his mistake; Kira had asked him to keep that little fact a secret. Everyone else had stopped what they were doing to look at a steadily growing uncomfortable Kira Izuru.

"Kira?" Surprisingly, it was Hitsugaya that spoke first. A small and devious smile rested on his face. "Who's the lucky and obedient lady?"

"It's nobody." Kira's voice was flat and he pulled hard from the beer bottle in his hand.

"Just tell them, Izuru." Yumichika piped up. Kira shot him a fierce look, intending for the well-dressed shinigami to shrink in his seat; unfortunately Yumichika had decided he was enjoying his revenge on the lieutenant.

"It's… Kurotsuchi Nemu." Kira had spoken more to the rim of his bottle than to the rest of the table, in hopes that nobody had heard him.

A stunned silence followed the comment. Kira looked around at the faces at the table, registering the looks of surprise held on each. Each of his male compatriots, with the exception of Yumichika, looked at him in shock. Hitsugaya's eyes were as wide as saucers; Hisagi opened his mouth, inhaled slightly as if her were preparing to speak, but then closed it.

"You mean that weird chick in the twelfth division?"

Grimmjow had been silent up until this point in the conversation; not out of any fear of castigation, but because he'd had no idea who these people they were talking about were. But he couldn't forget the name of the lieutenant who'd replaced his bandages after he'd been vivisected by her father. The rest of the group, noting his lack of silence, turned and looked at him in equal amounts of surprise. He maintained his gaze on Kira as he spoke.

"She's cute and all, but I'd want a girl that talks more. And I'd hope, for your sake, that she's less analytical in the bedroom; it's hard to perform when the girl is silently judging every move you make."

The rest of the table looked at him silently before bursting out in laughter. Yumichika and Hisagi had tears forming at the corners of their eyes. Even the normally stoic Captain Hitsugaya was allowing himself to laugh freely at the comment.

"Well, yeah," Kira blurted out, defending his choice in sexual partners as his face turned a light shade of red. "She… she's the silent type, but that's just how she is."

"I don't know if that means good things about your techniques there, Kira," Grimmjow said, causing another ripple of laughter to swirl around the table. He smiled widely as Kira stumbled over his words.

"Well," Yumichika said to Grimmjow as he recovered from his laughter, "I'm assuming this means you were allowed to get laid under Aizen's command?"

Grimmjow reached into the cooler that was located between him and Hisagi and grabbed a pair of bottles; he tossed one to Kira who had chugged his last one rather quickly. He opened it and drank from it as he thought of how to answer the strange question.

"Did _I_ get laid?" he began as the four men at the table leaned in to hear of the more enjoyable times he spent in _Las Noches._

"Let me explain to you boys what it means to be an Espada."

An hour later, Grimmjow found himself sitting silently next to Hisagi Shuuhei. Captain Hitsugaya had excused himself long ago, followed quickly by a highly intoxicated and slightly green Kira Izuru. The remaining three sat and talked more, mostly about nothing important, until they noticed that Yumichika had fallen asleep in his chair. Hisagi and Grimmjow then found themselves basically alone in the dark back lot of Urahara's shop.

While a mutual respect had been formed, both men could feel the animosity that remained between them. And the silence that hung in the air after Yumichika's voyage into sleep did nothing but showcase how evident it truly was. Neither of them spoke, even when Hisagi stood to grab another drink and wordlessly returned with one for Grimmjow as well.

"So," Hisagi spoke, breaking the silence. "What happened with Soi Fon?"

If Grimmjow had been sober, he might have remained silent. Or he might have sliced Hisagi's head off. But seeing that he was _not _sober in the least, and also sensing general concern in the lieutenant's voice, he decided to humor himself by answering.

"She was stabbed in the back by some _fracción _piece of trash," he swigged hard from his beer. "It's my fault. I should have made sure he was dead but... I was distracted. My own fucking pride got in the way and I didn't follow though and I got too wrapped up in killing that other bastard. The one that took my spot in the Espada." Grimmjow's words ran together but he didn't care. He was cursing his own carelessness.

"You fought two Arrancar?" The lieutenant's voice seemed distant, shaking Grimmjow out of his thoughts. He looked over at Hisagi, amused at the genuine interest on the shinigami's face. "And one was an Espada?"

"Yeah. Well, kind of. The _fracción, _the one that I'd thought I'd killed,was a simple piece of shit. I had this _fracción _once, D-Roy. He was goddamn worthless, but this guy was even worse." Hisagi chuckled at this. Grimmjow was rambling drunkenly, but his audience seemed to remain entertained. "Then I had to - _had to -_ kill this punk that thought he was good enough to be the new Sexta Espada."

Hisagi took a swig from his bottle. "Aizen replaced you already?"

"It would seem so. But the guy he did it with is- _was_ nothing but some weak fool. Pisses me off."

"I would imagine," Hisagi said, once more chuckling. "I got hurt on a mission in the real world one time. This giant hollow attacked and gave me these scars. Hell, Kira was there. He was a student and I was supposed to be leading him through this training exercise. But I got hurt and had to be in the hospital for a week. Came out and you know what? My spot in the academy had been filled. I had to reprove myself in front of a bunch of stuffy pricks just to regain my spot at top of the class."

"See? Shit sucks. But instead of some stuffy jackass, I had to always prove myself to Aizen. And he's the worst kind of asshole."

"So I'd assume being under him isn't the greatest?"

"Not at all. And I don't much care for your ex-captain Tousen, either. Guy was always spouting on and on about 'justice this' and 'righteous that'. Guy was so full of himself he couldn't see that he was a damn hypocrite."

"Actually," Hisagi said with a slight chuckle, "he couldn't see anything at all."

Both men erupted into boisterous laughter at the joke. Yumichika stirred in his sleep, but otherwise remained passed out. After they'd stopped laughing, the silence returned, only this time seemingly less oppressive. Hisagi stood suddenly and looked at Grimmjow.

"Thank you for protecting Captain Soi Fon," the lieutenant was looking dead into Grimmjow's eyes, the sincerity in his features impossible to miss. "The Captain and I have been… friends for a while, and I would hate to see her get hurt." Hisagi walked over to his unconscious friend and helped him to his feet. Once Yumichika's arm was around his shoulder, Hisagi turned back to Grimmjow.

"I'm truly grateful you are on our team, Grimmjow." Hisagi left without saying another word, dragging the other Shinigami inside, leaving Grimmjow unable to respond.

He stared up at the moon for a few moments longer before he stood and went inside to Soi Fon's room. He opened the door softly and watched silently as she slept. He felt a slight sorrow at the sight of her; he knew it was his fault she was in the bed and he wished he could somehow apologize to her. But she was on a light morphine drip and nothing he could do would wake her up. He also knew she needed her rest. _Besides,_he thought as he walked up to her and sat down, his back resting against the side of her bed. _What could I possibly say to her?_ He sat there for a long while before he stood up to leave and retire in his own quarters. When he reached his feet, he turned to face the bed. He looked down at her small, sleeping form and felt a pang in his heart. He leaned over and kissed her gently on the lips before he turned to leave the room.

"Sorry I was careless, little Captainess."

* * *

_**author's note**_

_man oh man. i swear some of you wanted to stab me in the chest through your computers. it's all about wording, kiddies. but i'm glad to see that my cliffhanger was extremely effective._

_thanks to everyone that's reviewed so far. and if you haven't reviewed yet, feel free to. it makes me happy._

_new chapter later this week._

ex's and oh's,

_jta._

_**hold on, be strong - oukast**_


	17. Gethsemane

_**Gethsemane**_

The morning sunlight did not feel good on his swollen eyes.

For the first time in his life, Grimmjow cursed the fact that he was a habitually early riser. He had drunk too much and gotten too little sleep the night before and his slow walk through the extremely well-lit Urahara Shop didn't help his head feel any better. He yawned deeply as he stepped into the common room, scratching his exposed chest tiredly. His eyes re-opened in time to see Hisagi and Yoruichi sitting at the breakfast table, their coffee being served to them by a red-haired girl whose back was to him.

Grimmjow didn't need to see her face to know who she was.

"Thank you, Orihime," Yoruichi said politely. "You really didn't have to _serve_ us the coffee. I just wanted you to help me make it."

"Well," the young girl said in complete modesty, her hand gently rubbing the back of her neck, pouring coffee into Hisagi's mug as she spoke. "You guys looked so tired; I figured that I could make you some. It was no trouble, really!"

Grimmjow's hung-over ears cringed at her loud and excited voice, but his eyes were amused as Hisagi's face distorted at the sound. He strode over to the table and sat down. Orihime walked away from the table and back into the kitchen, her eyes briefly making contact with Grimmjow as she rounded the corner. While she made no sign of noticing his presence at the table, the sound of the coffee pot crashing onto the kitchen floor a moment later was an aural confirmation of her recognition.

"Ah, Shit. I forgot to tell her you were here." Yoruichi stood up quickly and dashed into the other room, hoping that Inoue had not left the Shop through the kitchen window.

"And I was _nice _to her," Grimmjow said with indifference. He rubbed his eyes and groaned as he began to speak. "So did I drink some sort of tranquilizer last night? Because I feel like I got hit by a goddamn bus."

"No," Hisagi replied, knowing the pain Grimmjow was currently suffering through. "In Soul Society, we gently absorb spirit particles as we sleep. If we've been drinking the night before, they tend to take the edge off the hangover the next day. In the real world," Hisagi said, taking a sip of much needed coffee, "we aren't so lucky."

Grimmjow mused over this factoid briefly as Yoruichi reappeared with a slightly shaken Inoue Orihime. The girl's eyes trailed along the table, met Grimmjow's sharp eyes and wide grin, and shot back down to the floor. After repeating the motion, the Arrancar decided he was tired of waiting and, slightly rolling his eyes, broke the ice himself.

"Orihime!" His voice rang out, overly-enthusiastic. "How have you been?"

"I- I've been well," her eyes met his and stuck. "Grimmjow."

"Well that's absolutely lovely to hear."

"Yes."

Another oppressive silence befell the room, save for Hisagi sipping his coffee in seemingly timed intervals. Orihime sat down across from Grimmjow, making sure to occupy the seat furthest from her former captor. Her eyes were trained on her hands, which were currently twisting the fabric of her skirt. Grimmjow's eyes maintained their focus on the young woman, as did his large and amused smile. Yoruichi's eyes darted back and forth between the two. Hisagi sipped his coffee.

"What a gorgeous morning," Yumichika's voice rang out, breaking the silence as he stepped into the kitchen. His face was illuminated as he showed no signs of a hangover, and seemed to brighten further when he saw their unexpected visitor.

"Ah, Inoue-chan," he called out, subtly mocking her over-zealous use of titles. "Such a pleasure to see you again."

"It's a pleasure to see you, Ayasegawa-kun," she said, addressing him without noticing the masked derision. Her face brightened considerably at the sight of him. Or maybe just at the chance to look away from Grimmjow. _What the hell, _he thought idly. _I was nice to her, for fuck's sake. I saved her life! The least she could do is not shiver like a wet kitten when I'm around._

"Where is everyone?" Yumichika asked as he poured himself a cup of coffee, the women having brewed a fresh cup after the demise of the first. "How is Captain Soi Fon?"

Grimmjow's eyes widened. He hadn't even thought about her; he'd simply assumed she was alright and simply still sleeping. It had never occurred to him that she might still be injured, or that she couldn't get out of bed.

"She and Captain Hitsugaya are with Kisuke in his lab," Yoruichi responded, causing Grimmjow to sigh in relief. "Orihime came over this morning and helped heal the last of her wounds. But Kira," she said in a slightly exasperated tone, "has yet to show his face this morning. Either he is truly under the weather… or he is still ashamed for vomiting in the closet."

The three men at the table laughed, recalling the sick look on the lieutenant's face as he'd excused himself from the drinking circle the night before. Grimmjow stood and went to pour himself a cup of coffee when the devil himself stumbled out of the back hallway. Kira's face looked even more pallid than normal and his hair was lying limply around his shoulders. His eyes were still mostly shut and he was noticeably missing his shirt and shoes.

"Well good morning, Lieutenant Kira," Yoruichi called out to the young man whose feet were shuffling across her carpet.

"Muhrm." The monosyllabic utterance, accompanied by an unenthusiastic raising of his arm, was the only response elicited from the blonde shinigami as he walked into the kitchen. The group laughed lightly at the obviously aching Kira Izuru. Even Orihime had abandoned that seemingly permanent expression of melancholy that was always carved onto her face in order to allow a small chuckle.

"Grimmjow," a sweet and playful tone emerged from another room in the house, the voice leading its owner by only a few seconds as Urahara Kisuke strode out of his lab. The serious look on the exiled shinigami's face did not match the carefree tone of his voice. The facial expressions of the two captains behind him did not look pleasant either. Grimmjow looked at Soi Fon, who made brief and fiery eye contact before sharply glancing away. _What the hell happened?_

"Slip into your gigai if you would please," said Urahara, his voice gentle while his green eyes let Grimmjow know that this was no request. It was a demand.

"We're going for a walk."

* * *

Soi Fon had awoken very confused. It probably didn't help that she didn't recognize the ceiling her eyes had opened to, or that said ceiling was filtered through an orange glow. She looked over to her left to see Yoruichi smiling at her side.

"Lady Yoruichi?" Soi Fon questioned, her confusion becoming common knowledge.

"What have I told you about honorifics," Yoruichi scolded with a warm smile, "my little bumblebee?"

"What the hell happened?"

"Sometimes people get confused after their first time."

Soi Fon turned her head to the right, searching for the owner of the unfamiliar voice. She saw the human girl, Inoue, with her outstretched hands lightly touching the orange force-field that seemed to envelop her. Her mind fought back to the data she'd received after the girl had been kidnapped by Aizen; she had the ability to reverse time, to reject events.

To undo what had been done.

Soi Fon looked down at her chest as she remembered the sight of the bloody sword that had ripped its way through her body. She looked under her shirt and smiled as she saw that the scar, that by all means should be located under her sternum, was non-existent. She smiled again at the memory of Grimmjow completely destroying that fucking Arrancar; her smile widened again as he picked her up and gently carried her back to the Shop.

But mostly she smiled about him killing that fucker.

"Why all the wide smiles?" Yoruichi tilted her head at her former protégé. "It's very uncharacteristic of you, Soi Fon."

"I'm just…" she stopped herself. She realized she was happy Grimmjow had saved her, but she couldn't simply say something like that. _But then again_, she thought, _what would it matter? I can be happy about a team member avenging me violently, right?_ _It's not like I like him. I like _fucking _him, but that doesn't mean I like him. Right? _"I'm just amused," she lied, recovering. "This girl would make a great addition to the fourth division."

"If I were dead, Captain Soi Fon," the girl's sheepish voice snuck forth, "I would be honored."

Soi Fon laughed gingerly, surprised at how little her wound hurt. The girl was truly a miracle worker.

"Well you seem to be making a wonderful recovery, Soi Fon. Orihime, would you care to help me make some coffee? When everyone wakes up, we'd like to talk with everyone in town. Kisuke and I have devised a plan to create an Arrancar task-force. I'd prefer to let you know about the details ahead of time."

"Of course, Yoruichi-san." The orange oval vanished as a pair of golden embers returned to the hairclips above the girl's ears. Orihime smiled briskly at Soi Fon before happily bouncing out of the room. _What a ditz ._Soi Fon smiled to herself as she closed her eyes and enjoyed the extra rest she could never, ever receive in Soul Society.

She also welcomed the memories of Grimmjow.

He'd thought she'd been asleep when he slowly walked into her room last night. In truth, she had been. But after spending hundreds of years in the Special Ops, she found she could still awaken at the sound of a door gently sliding open. Even while being on a morphine drip after getting a sword jabbed through her back.

She'd barely opened her eyes, silently watching him through her eyelashes. He wavered a little; she could smell the beer on him. She laughed inwardly, enjoying the fact that he'd been convinced to drink with the rest of the guys. It was dangerous to put Hisagi Shuuhei, Kira Izuru, and Ayasegawa Yumichika together after a battle. She was only thankful Ikkaku hadn't been there; they'd suffered enough injuries without him getting drunk and deciding _Hoozukimaru_was an acceptable bottle opener.

But he'd surprised her when he let out a small sigh and sat down on the ground, resting his back against her bed. All she could see was the top of his head; she'd fought the urge to reach out and run her hand through his silky blue hair. She'd really wanted to, but her arm wouldn't move. Maybe it was the morphine, maybe she really _was_weakened after the attack. Maybe part of her just wanted to watch him silently and enjoy his presence.

She'd begun to actually drift off when he'd slowly risen to his feet. She almost allowed her eyes to flutter open, but she'd kept them slightly cracked. He turned to her and she'd almost reached out and pulled him to the bed; his face was so pathetically handsome, so full of sorrow. But before she could do anything, he'd bent down and kissed her softly. The light touching of his lips to hers had caught her completely off guard; every time they'd kissed before, it'd been with passion and ferocity and lust. The gentle kiss had left her frozen in her false sleep, unable to move. She wasn't even sure she'd been breathing.

_I'm sorry I was careless, little Captainess._

His whispered apology caused a lump to form in her throat. She wanted to tell him it wasn't his fault, but he'd left the room and she simply drifted away to sleep with a smile on her face.

The door to her room slid open, and the people entering the room were distinctly devoid of smiles.

"Soi Fon," Urahara said, Toshirou following quickly behind him. "Can you get up?"

"Yes," she answered, her eyebrows tightening in confusion. "What's going on?"

* * *

Grimmjow still felt weird without the jawbone on the side of his face or the hole in his abdomen. But, he reasoned, he _would_ look awfully out of place with the large piece of ivory adorning his jaw.

They were already getting looks as it was.

He and Urahara had been walking silently through a park for almost fifteen minutes and every person they passed would shoot them a questioning glance; Grimmjow with his spiky blue hair, and mister hat-and-clogs with his… _Ugh. He just looks out of place._

Grimmjow knew this walk was not a friendly procedure. The look on the exiled shinigami's face told him that he was on _someone's_shit-list. But what he couldn't figure out was why he was on said list. He'd killed two Arrancar, one of them an _Espada,_and rescued a captain.

"What's up, Urahara?" Grimmjow cracked, going immediately into defense mode. "What the fuck did I do? I've followed Soul Society's every order, I've shown exemplary behavior on this mission… hell, I killed an Espada and saved a captain. Why'd you drag me out here?"

"Ah," the scientist exclaimed, looking up at the grey sky. "It's such a lovely day. Even though it's surely going to rain soon, I'm truly glad we went on this walk." He faced Grimmjow, his eyes full of fire despite the sweet timbre of his voice. "Aren't you?" Grimmjow's lip curled slightly at Urahara's sing-songy voice, and he actually growled as the shinigami turned and continued his walk.

_What the fuck? _Grimmjow thought over the events of the morning. Nothing had seemed out of place; he got up, was cordial, and scared Orihime. Nothing out of the ordinary at all. His mind drifted back to the angry look on Soi Fon's face. The way her eyes regarded him in subtle anger before refusing to look at him at all. By the time he'd changed into his gigai, the living room had been empty, with the exception of Urahara. All the members of the team had vanished. What on earth had they—

"Grimmjow." Urahara suddenly whirled on him, interrupting his train of thought as he pointed the cane he always held directly at the Arrancar's forehead. Grimmjow instinctively swallowed hard; it felt as though the tip of a sword was leveled at his skull.

"I brought you out here," Urahara continued, "because I don't know what's going to happen. I don't know what everyone else will think. Or what they might do…" the shinigami shifted his eyes down and to the left. "…to you." _What everyone else will think? Do to me? What the fuck is he talking about?_

"We've received word that the captive Arrancar have killed the Captain-commander and our communications line with Soul Society has been completely destroyed."

_Oh._

* * *

Soi Fon was shocked. They all were.

After she'd been pulled out of bed by an uncharacteristically angry Urahara Kisuke, she'd been led past the two confused women in the kitchen and into the lab. Once there, Urahara had replayed the message he'd received from Soul Society.

The same message she was replaying for the rest of the team right now.

The computer in front of the group flickered on as a very disgruntled looking man appeared on the screen. When she'd first viewed the message, it had taken her a minute before she'd recognized the golden-eyed man in the video as Captain Kurotsuchi Mayuri. His face was devoid of the black and white paint that had so defined him for the past hundred and fifty years. His shaggy blue hair was matted with blood on the left side, his left eye shut tight against the blood that was running freely down his face. Soi Fon heard some of the others gasp lightly at his appearance. And she would only assume it was not because of the blood that had traced a line down his jaw to drip slowly from his scruffy goatee, but because none of them had ever seen the crazed scientist without his visage. The lab behind him was in disarray, with broken beakers and papers strewn about. A small fire was being more or less contained in the corner by his lieutenant and the screen was periodically interrupted by static.

All of this made that much creepier when his trademarked smile appeared on his face, looking for all the world like nothing was wrong.

"Hello, hello, team," he began, his voice tinged with a subtle note of amusement. "I'm afraid I have some bad news for you all. Sometime last night, the two former Espada still held under our observation went missing. As the whole of Seireitei went on a lookout for them, the traitorous Arrancar made an attack on Captain-commander Yamamoto. We received this information from Sasakibe Chojirou, who died shortly after the attack by the former Espada."

With the exception of some uncomfortable shifting, the entire group had fallen frighteningly silent.

"Despite our best efforts to keep the information contained, there was a leak in intelligence and several riots have broken out. The entire eleventh division has been burned to the ground, and the Arran—" An explosion caused the frame to shake and the snowy static to regularly interfere with the message. Mayuri continued his report unshaken by the blast, seemingly unaware that that his audio was no longer properly functioning. "I'm not… but the gateways… destroyed. The ability to… -icate with you will… to exist. I'm not sure if Aizen… your location, however… very likely your battles were mere distractions. You are currently…"

An even louder explosion rocked the video and the screen turned completely black. Hitsugaya shut the video off and turned to face the rest of the group. He looked at them silently for a while; the three seated officers in front of him sat in suspended animation, their eyes stared blankly ahead, their chests looking as though they were no longer breathing. Orihime sat in the back, looking uncomfortable as she waited for someone to speak. Soi Fon stepped forward, speaking sternly as the rest of the group looked on in shock.

"We have not been able to contact Soul Society since this message was received. Urahara Kisuke has tried repeatedly to open the gateway back to Seireitei with no success." She sighed softly as her head dropped from its authoritative position. "We are effectively stranded in the material world." The silence remained over the room, no one talking for a full minute.

"Where did Urahara take Grimmjow?" Kira's voice rose harshly from the silence, his eyes meeting Soi Fon's dangerously as he spoke. "How the hell can we trust that Arrancar?"

Soi Fon had no idea how to respond to the question. She wanted to defend Grimmjow; she felt that he'd had no knowledge of the assault on Soul Society. But she couldn't rightfully deny his involvement. She had no idea if he'd craftily deceived them all. The suspicions had played in her mind all morning, and Kira's accusations could only cause her stomach to tie into tighter knots. The image of Grimmjow slaughtering her as she slept once more invaded her mind's eye, causing her jaw to clench at the thought of fucking her potential murderer. She stared blankly at the Lieutenant, hoping her silence was not being considered as fear or weakness. Fortunately, it was Yoruichi who answered the question.

"As of right now, we cannot trust Grimmjow Jaggerjaques," she said, her voice ringing out in a defiant manner. The group shifted, some of their faces brightening at the statement. "But," she sighed, "we can't accuse him either. Urahara has taken Grimmjow away from the Shop in an effort to protect him—"

"_Protect _him?" Yumichika spat. "His comrades just fucking killed the Captain-commander and you want to _protect_ him?"

"He hasn't done anything to earn our distrust," Hitsugaya sharply interceded. "While his fellow Espada have betrayed us, Grimmjow has shown extreme loyalty to Captain Soi Fon and me. As the two leaders of this mission, we can, _and will_, provide sanctuary for the _former _Espada."

"Really?" Hisagi stood, his eyes burning into Soi Fon's. "Is that how _you _feel, Soi?" She knew that Shuuhei could sense her doubt in the situation, even if said reservations were for completely different reasons than he believed. But her spine stiffened as she returned the glare at her former lover.

"I agree with Captain Hitsugaya completely," she said, her tone icy enough to cause Hisagi's aggressive stance to falter slightly. "And I would certainly hope that you are not undermining us, Lieutenant Hisagi." She walked up to him as she spoke, her voice growing even colder as she went. "And I believe that the Gotei 13 has seen enough mutiny in the past three months; I would hate to see the beginnings of another in our highly-esteemed seated officers…" her face was now inches from his. "…_Lieutenant _Hisagi."

* * *

Soi Fon was sitting on the roof of the Shop, looking out over Karakura town as the first cold droplets of water began hitting her shoulders. _Shit._She had no desire to go back into the Urahara Shop; a loud argument had broken out as she'd left the room. Not wanting to be any part of it, she'd taken to the roof in hopes to find some sort of solace from the warring opinions of the people inside. She knew that Yoruichi and Hitsugaya would play the "authority card" in hopes to quell their overly aggressive officers. But Kira and Hisagi were already on thin ice with the thought of betrayal, and Yumichika was certainly aggravated about the news concerning the eleventh division. And she was completely certain that Orihime would say absolutely nothing. She was still unsure as to why Hitsugaya had insisted the girl watch the message from Kurotsuchi; in her opinion, the human girl was completely useless, even with her incredible healing capabilities.

The raindrops ceased, causing Soi Fon to sigh in relief. She'd decided to stay on the roof regardless of the weather, and the lack of cold rain was a much preferred aspect of the rooftop. She began to once more play over the message in her mind when a movement in the streets caught her eyes. She saw the familiar green-and-white striped hat stroll down the street and enter the Urahara Shop.

_Without Grimmjow. I wonder what he—_

"So," Grimmjow said softly, stopping her in the middle of her thought. "If I go inside am I gonna lose my head?"

She didn't respond to him; she didn't even look in his direction as he came and sat down next to her. He kept his distance however, making sure no part of his body touched hers. She could smell him, the scent that only this morning had caused her to smile as it lingered in her room. She could feel his reiatsu, the energy that had first made her desire him less than a week ago.

But now all of those things filled her with doubt and fear as he sat next to her in silence on the roof, the rain slowly beginning to return. She wanted so badly to know that he'd had no part in the killing of the Captain-commander, that he hadn't been deceiving he hadn't lied to her. That she hadn't let her guard down for the wrong reasons.

But she couldn't bring herself to speak, so she sighed heavily and rose from the rooftop. She turned to leave when his hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. She looked back at him in shock and anger and fear. What did he want? Was he going to try and kill her now? But he made no move towards her. Instead he looked at her silently, his eyebrows lifting slightly as he stared into her harsh silver eyes, and he took both of her hands in his.

Somehow, looking into the former Espada's blue eyes as the rain began to grow heavier, her small hands held gently by his rough palms as the wind ripped at their clothes, she knew he hadn't known about the attack. She couldn't explain it to herself, but she knew. She took her hands from his and wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing his mouth to hers. Her fingers wrestled with his wet hair as the kiss deepened, his muscular arms wrapping around her thin waist in the cold rain.

* * *

Grimmjow had not enjoyed his walk. Urahara had calmly explained the circumstances and reasons of the suspicions placed on the three Arrancar; but all the while Grimmjow had felt like the scientist was probing his facial expressions for a subtle admittance of guilt. Then, rather ceremoniously, Urahara Kisuke had stood up and strode way, leaving Grimmjow alone in the middle of the park.

"Well," Urahara sang out over his shoulder, "I'm going to head home and do some crowd-control. You might want to give everyone a minute or thirty before you return. Bye!"

_Well, I guess I'm off the hook with him._

Grimmjow slowly walked back the way he and Urahara had come, his mind running with thoughts of who had killed the Captain-commander. Immediately his mind went to Ulquiorra; he the stronger of the two Espada left in Soul Society, and the most likely to have remained loyal to Aizen. It hadn't made any sense to Grimmjow that Ulquiorra had such a lack of information when they'd been captured. _Of course that little bastard would have had a secret attack strategy,_Grimmjow thought, his jaw tightening in anger as he felt the first droplets of rain fall from the sky. _I bet he was captured on purpose. Somehow he comes up with these crazy plans and they're always fuckin' flawless._

Grimmjow was now fuming over the green-eyed Espada. He felt outraged at the destruction of their chance at escape from Aizen. He felt useless because no one in _Las Noches_seemed to have ever trusted him with a mission like this. And to his complete surprise, Grimmjow felt betrayed. Ulquiorra had always seemed like a brother to him; despite the mutual hatred they shared, there was also an equal level of respect. And with this betrayal of Soul Society, Grimmjow felt it on an almost personal level.

He could see the Shop in the distance, but could feel Soi Fon's reiatsu outside of the store. His eyes glanced upwards and saw her staring out over the city from the roof. He leapt up and hoped that she'd already deemed him innocent. But after his attempt at a joke was met with a painful silence, he decided to play the quiet and innocent routine.

Yet while he sat next to her, he found himself wanting to ask her so many questions. But the frigid mask she wore caused him to simply ask the questions in his head. He wanted to know that she trusted him, that he wasn't using her for Aizen's gain. He wanted to know how she felt about him.

He wanted to know how she felt about _them._

But when she stood and he hadn't found the ability to say anything, his hand shot out and gently grabbed her wrist. She turned quickly, her eyes widening in surprise. And, Grimmjow thought dejectedly, with fear. His hands enveloped hers, the smaller feminine hands fitting perfectly in his larger palms. She looked at him as the rain began to steadily increase, her face still emotionless, his mouth still unable to move.

And then she broke the silence with a kiss, sighing softly as she wrapped her arms around his neck, moaning gently when he placed his arms around her.

They broke apart. She giggled lightly and blew on his hair, removing a droplet of water that had beaded on the blue strands. He looked at her and smiled widely with a soft chuckle.

"What's so funny, Espada?" She asked teasingly, her lips kissing a line down his neck to his collarbone.

"I had no idea you even knew how to giggle, Soi. I thought only girls could do tha— ow!" He inhaled sharply as she bit down on the side of his neck.

"I _am_ a girl. A girl that could kick your ass." She said, a playfully defensive tone rising in her voice.

"No," he said as he wrapped his arms around her waist, pinning her hands to her sides. "You're a _woman._ I wouldn't spend any time with a girl. Besides," he picked her up and carried her over to the edge of the roof and sat her down next to the ladder leading down to the street. "You could _never _kick my ass."

"Is that a challenge, panther-boy?" she asked as she began climbing down.

"For another day, little Captainess. For another day."

Soi Fon felt immensely better as she walked back into the Urahara Shop. She separated from Grimmjow and went to dry off as he hesitantly walked into the main room where everyone had gathered. She hadn't made it halfway to her room when the yelling began. Exhaling harshly, she turned and entered the room. She was slightly shocked to see that Grimmjow was leaning silently against a wall as Yumichika and Kira yelled at one another. Yoruichi and Orihime sat across from the fight and rolled their eyes. Hisagi attempted to separate the two.

"What the hell happened?" Soi Fon asked as she walked over to Grimmjow.

"I'm not exactly sure. I got a relatively amicable welcome, and then they started yelling at each other. It was kind of fuckin' weird, to be honest."

She laughed and turned to leave. As she exited the room, the sound of a _garganta_opening behind her caused her to turn and look back through the door in shock. Kira stood in complete surprise as the portal opened up in the middle of the room; Yumichika instinctively stepped back into a defensive stance; Hisagi's hand was frozen on the hilt of his zanpakuto. And Orihime gasped loudly and shot up to her feet, knocking the chair she'd been sitting on to the floor as the Espada stepped out of the blackness and into the Urahara Shop.

Ulquiorra Schiffer regarded them all coldly with his emerald-colored eyes as the gash in reality closed slowly behind him.

* * *

_**author's note**_

_hey kiddies, long time no see. had to concentrate for a big lit. exam. got a perfect score though, so i guess it was worth it._

_yeah yeah, i know. crazy turn of events, huh? i was surprised myself, tbqh. he was old anyways; it's fine to kill off the old guys, right?_

_also, check out my other story. it's called "amore come dolore". it's a bunch of side stories that are set in this au concerning the characters that don't get all of the spotlight like grimm and soi. i've only got one chapter up right now, but i'll probably have another by tomorrow._

_review review review. i'll take reviews over turkey on thursday!_

_jta._

_**gethsemane - peter gabriel**_


	18. Exterminating Angel: Balberith

_**Exterminating Angel:**_

_**Balberith**_

The world had stopped moving. Soi Fon could see everyone as if they were in suspended animation, their bodies frozen as time slowed to a crawl. Kira stood near the back of the room, his eyes widened in shock; Yumichika, who had left his zanpakuto leaned against the wall across the room, had brought his fists up in defense; the girl Orihime had leapt up from her chair in surprise, tears brimming on her eyelids as she flattened herself against a wall. Grimmjow and Hisagi had both started to unsheathed their swords, and each had their blades frozen halfway out of their scabbards in surprise at the invader.

Ulquiorra Schiffer stepped out of the _garganta, _regarding them all coldly with his green and expressionless eyes before he coughed up blood and fell to the floor.

The entire group maintained their inanimateness as a pool of blood spread from a long gash on Ulquiorra's back and encircled the fallen Espada's body. Soi Fon had no idea what to do; she could see the other shinigami were roiling in their places, tasting their chance at vengeance. Orihime was silently weeping at the sight of her former captive, her tears slipping almost unnoticed down her cheeks. And Grimmjow stood still, his mouth half open at his one-time comrade's still form on the floor.

Shuuhei slowly looked over at her, and then to Grimmjow, his dark eyes expertly calculating the situation. She saw his hand tighten around the handle of his sword and it suddenly dawned on her what he was preparing to do. She quickly looked over to Grimmjow, seeing if he noticed the intent of the lieutenant. Her eyes widened as she saw the Arrancar's bright blue irises were locked onto Hisagi's hand, his own knuckles whitened as he tightly gripped _Pantera_. She breathed in to speak, to address the situation, to make sure nobody did anything stupid.

She didn't speak fast enough.

Hisagi launched himself at Ulquiorra, his blade held high in the air, Orihime yelping in surprise at the sudden movement towards her former captor. Grimmjow moved just as swiftly, his sword clashing against Hisagi's over the fallen Espada. Grimmjow had managed to repel the attacking shinigami, positioning himself between Ulquiorra and the rest of the room. He grimaced at Hisagi, his white teeth showing as he snarled at the lieutenant.

"Don't fucking touch him," Grimmjow growled out, his body leaking out a dense level of reiatsu. The spiritual pressure was darker and more intense than any of them had ever felt before, causing Orihime to collapse against the far wall as she struggled for breath. _Shit, _Soi Fon thought, looking between the two warriors. _This is not going to be good._

"Do you really think I wouldn't cut you down to get to him, Grimmjow?" Hisagi asked, drawing his sword back and preparing for another strike. His voice was venomous.

"Do you really think you could beat me, shinigami?"

"I don't think you could even _touch _me, Arrancar."

_Fuck. _Soi Fon looked down at her wrist and pressed the button that would extinguish some of Grimmjow's reiatsu and turn him into a panting heap on the floor. She looked up and saw the Arrancar standing unaffected by the device. Her eyes widening in surprise, she pressed the button again to no effect. Horror slowly overtook her features as she realized that their leash on Grimmjow had snapped, and the former Espada was about to lunge at the ninth division's lieutenant. She sprang into action.

Just as Grimmjow was about to open Hisagi Shuuhei's belly with his zanpakuto, Soi Fon cast forth a _shakkahou, _sending the enraged Arrancar through the wall and into the gravel lot behind the Urahara Shop. She only briefly saw the surprised looks on everyone's faces as she leapt through the hole she'd created. She flew out into the rain as she searched for Grimmjow Jaggerjaques. She didn't need to look for long as he appeared in a flash of _sonido, _his foot swinging out at her ribs. She quickly leapt into the air, both of her ankles locking around his shin before she flipped forward onto her hands, spinning his outstretched leg upwards and sending him to the ground. She swiftly sprung off her palms and leapt into the air in an attempt to put some distance between her and Grimmjow, but he'd reached out and grabbed her leg and pulled her back down to the ground. She swung out with her fist, aiming for his head, only for him to grab her wrist as well. Holding both her right ankle and right wrist, he swung her hard and let go, sending her flying into a tree.

He leapt into the air and continued to ascend, the ground steadily falling below him. After a few moments he stopped, his eyes scanning the ground for his opponent. She used _shunpo _to quickly appear in front of him.

Soi Fon glared into his eyes as they held their silence above the town. She wanted to scream at him, to tell him to stop, but she didn't at the same time. She knew that he would have killed Shuuhei had she not intervened; Hisagi hadn't even seen the slash coming for his open torso. And for what? To defend a traitorous Arrancar? She wasn't going to accept, much less forgive, such a foolish action. She slowly reached behind her back and removed her zanpakuto from its sheath.

"Soi…" he began hesitantly, reticently pulling his own blade from the scabbard, his eyes regarding her with a mixture of disbelief and anger. She didn't give him the chance to continue as she spoke softly and fiercely.

"Sting all enemies to death, _Suzumebachi!_"

She rushed at him as her sword melted down and wrapped itself around her hand and forearm, the golden weapon culminating in a vicious-looking stinger on her middle digit. He dodged her attack, the pointer tearing away a piece of his shirt as she stabbed it forward. The fabric had just enough time to separate from the rest of his wardrobe when she turned around to thrust at him again. This time she was met with his blade swinging down at her chest. She brought up her forearm, using the armor of her shikai before he could take off an arm. His eyes widened slightly, clearly expecting her to have dodged instead of block. She used this split-second to thrust her feet forward, locking her ankles together behind his back and dragging him towards her. She thrust out the venomous tip of _Suzumebachi,_ catching him square in the gut and sending him flying backwards.

He threw both of his feet out below him, catching the winds and skidding himself to a stop in the air. He was glaring at her, his eyes screaming out his feelings of betrayal. She chuckled that he thought she would care.

"Why the sour face?" she teased as the black hornet's crest formed to the right of his hollow-hole. "Are you upset that I'm fighting with you?" He didn't respond, his glare intensifying. She continued to taunt him, snickering as she spoke. "You have to realize that you can't expect to attack one of my subordinates without reaping the consequences. And your consequences are looking dire, Grimmjow."

She pointed down to where the _homonka _had blossomed on his stomach. He looked down and swiftly returned his eyes to her, his eyes questioning.

"My _Suzumebachi _insures death in two hits," she said, gladly answering his unspoken inquiry. "Once the black crest appears on your flesh, it provides me a target. And if I bulls-eye you…" she rose up her golden glove and smirked. "…you're a dead man, Grimmjow Jaggerjaques."

He sighed dejectedly as he stepped back and leveled his sword with his chest, scratching his fingernails along his blade as he spoke.

"Grind, _Pantera."_

Soi Fon rushed forward, knowing that he was releasing his zanpakuto; she was not planning on allowing him to transform into his released state. She shot through the sky, her stinger at the ready when a bright flash of light stopped her immediately. Soi Fon's eyes widened in shock as he felt herself being blown back by the tremendous amount of spirit pressure that was exploding outwards from Grimmjow. _What the hell,_ she questioned as she brought her hand up to shield her eyes from the explosion._The last guy was nowhere near this powerful! Is Grimmjow truly this much stronger than the eighth Espada?_

Her eyes widened even more when the dust cleared and she saw his _resurrección;_she understood completely why his sword was called "Panther" as she looked his new form up and down.

He did not allow her much time to inspect. He used _sonido_to leap directly in front of her, his mouth grinning viciously into her surprised eyes. Before she could even register the speed of his movements, he'd planted his feline-like foot into her stomach, sending her plummeting to the ground. She hit the dirt and looked up, her breath stalling in her throat as he launched himself towards her. She quickly leapt up and out of the way as he slammed into the ground where she had been only moments before. She rushed at him and thrust her fist forward at him. He threw up a block, her stinger sinking itself into his forearm. She pulled away and leapt back, laughing softly as another _homonka_ appeared on his arm.

He flicked his elbow out and a trio of small projectiles screamed through the air towards her. Not expecting a projectile attack, she managed to dodge two of the spines. The third, however, became lodged in her thigh. She leapt away and sank to the ground as the other two missiles slammed into a nearby warehouse, completely obliterating the building. He smirked at her, knowing that she was in a lot of pain.

Her sudden fury at his self-assurance started the attack. She could feel the energy flowing through her as the white glow of _shunkou_formed unwittingly around her body. Her sleeves disintegrated almost immediately, leaving her in the backless outfit of the special ops. She glared at his still smirking face as the surge of energy calmed and fell into her control, distributing itself into her arms and legs.

"I hope you're fast enough for this, Grimmjow!" she yelled as she rushed him, the _shunkou_in her legs propelling her faster than even "ShunshinYoruichi" could follow. Time slowed down as she neared his stomach, the black hornet's crest she'd placed there earlier directly in her line of attack. She thrust her blade forward, the tip of her stinger fatally approaching the target on his gut.

But his body shifted slightly to the right at the last second and her whole hand thrust harmlessly through his hollow-hole. She looked up at him in shock as he reached behind him and grabbed the arm that was sticking through his abdomen. Her wrist firmly in his grasp, he looked down at her, his eyes a cross between sorrow and pity as he thrust is fist forward into her chest. She coughed up blood as his fist reared back to repeat the action, his other hand keeping her trapped and defenseless at close proximity. Once more his fist balled up and thrust downwards into her torso. She felt all of her energy drain from her body as the _shunkou_burst away from her. She couldn't breathe. Her vision was growing hazy around the edges. She was struggling to stay awake.

He let her go then, her body falling freely to the ground. She slammed into the gravel lot behind The Urahara Shop, her body fighting for breath, her eyes swimming in her head as she tried to focus them. The rain had lightened up, only trickling slowly against her upturned and bloodied face.

The sound of a _sonido _alerted her to Grimmjow's presence, but she couldn't do anything to defend herself. She looked up at the sky, her body still in shock after the abrupt loss of her _shunkou. _Her vision was soon filled with his form towering over her as he looked down into her eyes. His _resurrección _was gone and he had his zanpakuto pointed at her throat. She knew that she was dead. She knew that he would kill her, just as ruthlessly as she would have killed him. She wanted to say so much to him, but the words were caught in her throat.

Her eyes widened in surprise when he placed the blade back into the scabbard at his waist.

"_I'm sorry, little Captainess._"

She barely heard his whisper before he vanished, disappearing as his _sonido_ tore through the air, leaving her alone in the fading rain.

* * *

For the second time in one day, Soi Fon awoke under the orange glow of Orihime's _Souten Kisshun. _She blinked slowly, her eyes gradually coming into focus as she stared at the ceiling of The Urahara Shop. Looking around, Soi Fon noticed that the human girl was asleep at the foot of her bed, despite the fact that her healing shield was still held above her. Essentially alone, Soi Fon's mind drifted to the fight she'd just lost.

He was too fast and too strong.

She wasn't sure if it was because she'd held back, or because he was that much stronger than she was. Either way, he'd completely dominated the battle. She had never been so ashamed in her abilities, even when Yoruichi had returned and negated the _shunkou_Soi Fon had used against her former idol. At least then Yoruichi had simply stopped them from fighting, stopped them from hurting each other. Grimmjow had completely beaten her down until she could no longer fight him anymore. He'd crushed her body and her spirit.

But he'd allowed her to live.

She felt the tears form in her eyes, her cheeks hot with shame and grief. _Why would he do that?_Her mind screamed in silence as she lay in the bed alone. _Why didn't he just kill me? I would have killed—_

She stopped as the sudden realization that she _would_ have killed him. And he'd known it. If he had known that she planned on killing him, why would he have _ever_let her live? Her breath caught in her throat as she realized he'd pitied her, that he'd consciously left her alive. She realized that he wasn't coming back. Tears fell down her face as she thought about him; his smile, his laugh, his beautiful blue eyes. The thought of him never coming back filled her with fear and sadness and remorse. One hundred years ago, she'd hated being abandoned by Yoruichi. But this was even worse.

Because this time, it would be all her fault.

* * *

Grimmjow was pissed off. He knew that Ulquiorra was innocent the second his fellow Arrancar stepped out of the _garganta. _And yet nobody had even allowed the Espada the opportunity to speak after he'd fallen to the ground in a bloody heap. When Hisagi had leapt out to kill Ulquiorra, Grimmjow reacted on instinct; the two Arrancar, the two former Espada, former rivals, former hollows, had grown tired of Aizen and decided to help Soul Society in any way they could. And now that same comrade was about to be executed without so much as the opportunity to plead his innocence.

Grimmjow lost it.

He'd attacked the young lieutenant, his sword aimed for Hisagi Shuuhei's exposed belly, intending to leave his opponent's intestines piled around his feet. Only as a scare tactic, though; Grimmjow had seen first-hand the healing capabilities of Inoue Orihime, and he knew that closing a wound like that would have taken her no time and even less effort.

But then Soi Fon had blasted him through the wall. He recovered quickly and countered with a _sonido-_kick, his leg flying at her with extreme force. She countered it like he thought she would and he was left with an opening to grab her. He tossed her aside and tried to put some distance between them. He didn't want to hurt her. He just wanted her to understand.

But then she'd pulled out her zanpakuto. He knew then that there would be no verbal negotiations between the two of them; she would be trying to beat him into submission. She summoned her shikai and charged him again and again, eventually placing a black mark on his stomach.

_Two hits and you're dead,_he thought, rolling his eyes in irritation as he shot through the air. _That is such bullshit. How the fuck was I supposed to defend against that without getting my ass killed? _Even when he'd released, he hadn't tried to hurt her. In fact, he'd done a rather decent job of restraining himself. Then her reiatsu surged and her sleeves exploded off of her arms as she began to glow a pulsating white.

She flashed forward faster than he'd ever seen hr move before; he almost missed the movement completely until the last second when his eyes were able to follow her. He could see that she had a visual line drawn on the "target" on his stomach. He knew then that she would have killed him. Had he not slid six inches to the right, he would already be dead.

And the idea of her ruthlessly killing him filled him with rage. Not even twenty-four hours ago did he save her life and sit at her bedside as she'd slept. And now she was only inches away from ending his life? He looked down into her surprised eyes as sadness washed over him; he hadn't wanted to hurt her, but he now saw that the only way to win was to incapacitate her. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer to him, holding her there at his mercy. He placed his fist into her chest, hating the sight of the red blood that spilled from her lips. Her wrist pulled against his in a vain attempt at escape. He groaned softly as he punched her again, more blood staining her pink lips. Her wrist went limp as her eyes glazed over slightly; the white aura that surrounded her vanished as suddenly as it had appeared.

He let her fall to the ground.

After insuring that she was alive, and a swift and whispered apology, he took to the sky. And he'd been streaking his way through the air above Karakura for almost four hours now. Eventually he settled down on a small flat rooftop to collect his thoughts. He was confused and angry. He'd only been defending his friend; he didn't see why she had to try and kill him.

_Soi Fon._

He'd done so much to prove to her that he wasn't some sort of beast, that he wasn't the monster that she thought he was. But every time he did something good, something even worse would make him look bad. And now… _How am I supposed to face her again? How am I gonna return to the Urahara Shop without getting skinned alive?_

He looked up at the cloudy skies, the white moon trying its best to shine through the rain. He sighed heavily when a noise came from the building below him, causing him to look down in surprise. It sounded like two men screaming at one another.

He smirked viciously as he read the green sign on the side of the house, getting an idea.

* * *

The entire house had formed a ring around Ulquiorra's bed. After she had been healed, Soi Fon told Urahara about the reiatsu-controlling remote not working on Grimmjow earlier. In response, Urahara had fastened _Sekkiseki_chains around each of the Espada's limbs before allowing Orihime to heal him. And now that the house felt safe, they'd gathered in the room as Inoue Orihime announced that he was about to wake up.

His pale eyelids fluttered open and a faint smile manifested on his lips when he saw Orihime. But then his juniper-colored eyes swept across the room and his face turned into the blank slate he was best known for. The room remained deathly quiet for almost a full minute before anyone spoke.

And the first to speak, surprisingly, was Orihime.

"Ulquiorra," her shy voice arose from the oppressive silence, "what happened?"

The green-eyed Arrancar sighed heavily and closed his eyes. He grimaced for a moment before his face relaxed, Soi Fon assuming he had fallen asleep again. And judging from the harsh sighs that filled the room, she wasn't the only one to make that assumption. But then his eyelids slowly opened to reveal his emerald eyes, and he began to speak.

"Szayel-Aporro escaped first," he wheezed, his voice weakened by blood loss. "He came to my quarters and killed the men that were keeping watch over my room. He told me about the mission he was given before his capture…" Ulquiorra looked over at Hitsugaya for a moment before continuing. "A mission that I was completely unaware of."

"What was the mission?" Hisagi spoke up. When Soi Fon had knocked Grimmjow through the wall, he had once more made an attempt on Ulquiorra's life. He brought his blade down quickly, with every intention to kill the fallen Espada. But a pale hand reached up from the seemingly lifeless body and effortlessly caught the zanpakuto. Ulquiorra raised his head from the ground and stared intently into Hisagi's eyes as he held onto the sword. His green eyes faintly begged the shinigami to stop before they rolled back into their sockets and he collapsed. Hisagi had known then that the Arrancar held vital information, so he was on good behavior after trying to kill him.

Not to mention the tongue-lashing he received from Captain Hitsugaya and, after she'd recovered, Captain Soi Fon.

"To kill the Captain-commander, of course." Ulquiorra responded calmly as he looked at Hisagi Shuuhei. "To leave a vacancy at the top of the Gotei 13 and steep Seireitei into a civil war. He was completely successful in all three of those objectives."

"And you look as though you disagreed with him," Hitsugaya said, his cold voice cutting through the room. "Why?"

"I no longer possess the desire to serve Aizen. And neither does Grimmjow. We'd discussed, at length, our willingness to aid Soul Society against him."

Soi Fon was shocked at his words; was Grimmjow truly protecting someone he knew to be innocent? And then she'd attacked him for it… _No wonder he hasn't come back. _She kept her eyes on Ulquiorra, despite the quick glances she was receiving. She could feel a lump form in her throat and her cheeks grow red. She was relieved when Yoruichi cast the next question, the attention of the room refocusing on the Espada in the bed.

"Why didn't you try to stop him?"

"I did," the cold reply came out. "I expressed my disgust for his plan and attempted to kill him. He paralyzed me with a serum he must have created in Captain Kurotsuchi's lab; I didn't even see the syringe in his hand. I…" he stopped speaking, and considered his next words very carefully. "I broke out of the trance an hour later. Soul Society was in flames. There were shinigami beating each other in the streets. The entire fourth division was completely filled with patients. When I made it to the Captain-commander's quarters…" he stalled again and licked his pale lips with a dry tongue before he continued. "Captain-Commander Yamamoto was already dead when I'd arrived in the first division. His body was crucified against the back wall of his office."

The entire building was growing warmer; Soi Fon could feel the rage and fury and anger bubbling to the surface of everyone in the room, herself included. Miraculously, not a word was spoken aside from the monotonous drone of Ulquiorra's voice.

"Szayel-Aporro Granz stood in the center of the room and smiled at me when I was attacked from behind by the first division lieutenant, Sasakibe Chojirou." A loud gasp escaped from the group._Sasakibe?_Soi Fon's mind was reeling at the news. _He was more loyal to the Captain-commander than even Shunsui was. How could he—?_

"Lieutenant Sasakibe had been Aizen's mole, just as Menoly had been yours," Ulquiorra spoke towards Urahara, pulling Soi Fon away from her thoughts. "And in truth, I had not been informed of such a spy in the Gotei 13; believe me, if I had known, I would have alerted you. Even–"

"How the fuck are we supposed to believe you?" Kira interrupted. "Four days ago, you would have killed all of us in a heartbeat. Now we're supposed to just _trust_you? Now we can't even trust our own people!"

Ulquiorra closed his eyes and sighed slowly. He reopened his eyes and looked blankly at Kira before he reached up and plunged his fingertips into his left eye socket. Soi Fon gasped in horror as the Arrancar pulled his eyeball out of his skull, quickly snapping his wrist to break the ocular nerve connecting the green and white orb to his body. His face remained expressionless as dark crimson lines began spilling down his cheek from his now vacant eye socket, running parallel with the cyan line that was permanently descending along his pale face. He stretched his arm out and crushed his eyeball, the small sphere exploding and a cloud of colorful dust. They all stepped back wearily, but soon the room melted away and was replaced by the first division.

They watched in silence as Ulquiorra confronted Szayel-Aporro below the hanging and bleeding body of Yamamoto; as the green-eyed Espada attempted to battle two men at once while his back was bleeding freely; as he blasted away the far wall with a green _cero_ and escape through a _garganta._ The images and sounds faded as The Urahara Shop reappeared before them. No one spoke for a long time; Soi Fon held her tongue on several occasions, feeling like the silence was so dense that her words would be lost in them.

"What do we do?" It was Yumichika who broke the silence, his violet eyes burning slightly at the sight of his home in such a hopeless state. "What the hell are we supposed to do now?"

"We kick their asses, that's what we do now." A voice rang out from the window, causing them to snap their heads around in surprise. Soi Fon's jaw dropped as she saw Grimmjow Jaggerjaques leaning carelessly against the large window frame, Kurosaki Ichigo crouching at his side, grinning deviously.

* * *

**_author's note_**

_whew. that was a toughie._

_i don't really have much to say here.. i guess i'll just give some shout outs? mad props go out to__**catalin, rai, fourwalls, bsvp,**__and__**enchantable.**__they're always hittin' me up with the stellar reviews, so thank you guys! thanks also go out to anyone who's given me a review ever. they make me feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside._

_btw, balberith was an angel that desired the fall of man. he was the one that put the sacred tree in the garden of eden in the first place. i figure that sasakibe plays that role, eh?_

_listen. if you've read these past 67,000 words, and you've enjoyed at least two-thousand of them, please give a review. it's what i live for, really._

jta.

**exterminating angel - holy vehm**

**balberith - john zorn & trey spruance**


	19. NocturneMoonlight

_**NocturneMoonlight**_

"K-Kurosaki?"

"Yo, Toshirou," Ichigo said as he leapt into the room.

The young captain was too surprised to impose tradition and correct the substitute shinigami's lack of formality. Of all the people to be standing in that windowsill, Grimmjow Jaggerjaques and Kurosaki Ichigo had to have been the least expected.

Which is exactly how Grimmjow had wanted it.

"And to what do we owe the pleasure of your sudden and unexpected appearance, Kurosaki-san?" Urahara sang, his surprise almost completely concealed in the façade of pleasantries.

"Well," Ichigo began, taking Urahara's hand in a firm shake. "I was sitting at home, trying to catch up on some _much needed_homework, when this maniac broke my window and pulled me out of the house." His pointed finger indicated that he was referring to the Arrancar that was smirking menacingly from the window.

"Don't act like you were _actually studying, _Ichigo," Grimmjow responded as he hopped down from the ledge. "You and that idiot father of yours were yelling so loud, I'm sure that the entire neighborhood could hear every fuckin' word."

"Well you didn't need to break my window, ya dumbass," Ichigo retorted, spinning around to loudly confront his former rival. "You almost cut me in half dragging me through all the glass!"

"Whatever, you pansy! It hardly even touched you," Grimmjow hollered, getting in the orange-haired youth's face. "And even if it had, that woman over there would have just glued you back together." Grimmjow crossed his arms and exhaled as he turned back to the rest of the room. "Besides. I know how much you love playing hero."

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?"

"You're always trying to save the world, always rushing into shit without thinking beforehand. I wouldn't want to let you miss out on your opportunity to kill Aizen and be 'Mr. Incredible' again."

"Speaking of which," Soi Fon interjected, cutting off the argument before it could flourish further. "What is this incredible plan to kill Aizen, anyway?" Her tone was dripping with impatience and sarcasm.

Grimmjow turned and faced her, his mouth an upturned scythe of white teeth and arrogance. His cocky blue eyes stared directly into her narrowed pupils. They held the impasse for a few moments before her cheeks turned slightly pink and her eyes cut away from his piercing gaze. He left his sights on her for a moment longer as his smile expanded ever so slightly; she looked so cute when she blushed.

He decided he would torment her a bit longer. She tried to kill him after all.

"Well," he said, finally responding to her question. "As I said earlier, we go to Soul Society and kill the fuckers."

"And just how do you plan on doing that? We can't open a passageway to Seireitei. The _Senkaimon_ have been completely destroyed." Hisagi met Grimmjow's glare, but found he had just as little luck maintaining the staring contest as Soi Fon had. Grimmjow was just happy that the lieutenant did not blush as well.

"We use the _garganta._"

The entire group looked in surprise at Urahara Kisuke. While the brilliant mind hid his eyes behind a lock of straw-colored hair and beneath the shadows of his green and white hat, his distinctive smile remained visible to the room. He slowly tilted his head up and looked at the gathering of warriors before him.

"Ulquiorra and Grimmjow possess the ability to open _garganta, _and as our melancholy friend demonstrated earlier, they can cause those tunnels to enter and exit Soul Society." He looked over at the green-eyed Arrancar. "Isn't that right, Ulquiorra?"

"That is correct." The deadpanned Espada confirmed. "We've always possessed the ability to open them directly into Soul Society."

"Then why the hell didn't Aizen ever attack us directly?" Yumichika questioned.

"While many of us desired to use such a tactic, Aizen demanded that we refrain."

"Why?" Hitsugaya piped up. "Why on Earth would he not exploit a weakness like this?"

"Probably 'cuz the bastard wanted to wait until he had Yamamoto killed before heightening security around the joint." Grimmjow practically scoffed as he answered the question.

"He told you this?" Soi Fon asked sharply, her eyes shooting to Grimmjow.

"No. But seeing that the old man got wacked, I would only imagine that's what was in the cards." He returned the stare at Soi Fon, who briefly made eye contact with him before Ulquiorra resumed speaking, causing her to gratefully turn her gaze away from Grimmjow. His smirk remained as he also focused on the Arrancar in the bed.

"Grimmjow makes a very valid point. If Aizen desired the death of the Captain-commander, it would be wise to assume that he would not want Soul Society to understand how easy it would be for him to invade."

Ulquiorra's words hung over the room as everyone looked at each other in complete silence. The pregnant pause was obsolete— they all knew what he was going to say next.

"It would also be logical to assume Aizen has already begun his occupation of Seireitei."

"That's why we strike now." Grimmjow was getting fed up with all of these verbal impasses; he wanted to stop talking and start moving. And he could very much feel that sentiment being echoed silently throughout the room as he continued to speak. "I say we get to Soul Society as soon as possible. Aizen's only been there a few hours; if we can get there quick, we'll have the element of surprise on our side."

"Now who's just rushing into shit?" Ichigo murmured under his breath. Grimmjow was about to resume their yelling match when Soi Fon interjected.

"Kurosaki has a good point," she said sternly, once more looking Grimmjow in the eyes. "If Aizen understands that we can return to Soul Society using the _garganta,_he would most likely be expecting us..." she glared hard, finally causing him to smile and glance away from her stare, "…no matter when we arrive." He returned his gaze to her, silver irises burning into him. He couldn't help but grin widely— she was even cuter when she was mad.

"I suggest we open the _garganta_in Rukongai," Ichigo said, his voice rising helpfully. "When I… uh… first _made my way _into Soul Society, that's where I landed. I was able to get in mostly undetected."

"Yes, but we have no idea of the conditions of Rukongai," Hitsugaya spoke up, once more logically addressing the situation. "Perhaps the streets are in as much of an uproar as Seireitei?"

"That's a chance we take, Captain Hitsugaya," Kira said. "Besides, what if they are rioting? We could easily incapacitate them without incident."

"The only foreseeable problem," Ulquiorra interjected from the bed. "We do not know who has accompanied Aizen to Seireitei. Or where such reinforcements a located therein." Once more the room fell silent at the former Quarto Espada's words, and once more the former Sexta had to aggressively break the silence.

"Bullshit, Ulquiorra. I can almost fuckin' guarantee that Aizen has Tousen and Gin with him. It wouldn't surprise me if he brought a slew of _numeros_ with him. You know, for fodder."

"If he's expecting us, then you are probably correct. He more than likely has several lower-ranked Arrancar in tow. Where do you suppose the rest of the Espada are?" The rest of the room watched with great interest as Aizen's former elites strategically began to pick his forces apart. As Grimmjow responded to the question, he failed to notice Soi Fon bite her lower lip or see her reddened cheeks.

"Fuck if I know. If Aizen asked them to stay and do _your _job, you just _know_ Barragan had a field day with that; you've seen how much he loves to play 'king of the hill' when Aizen's not around."

"I suppose that would mean that Halibel and Stark stayed behind as well," Ulquiorra said and closed his eyes.

"That and Stark's too lazy to go all the way to Soul Society."

Ulquiorra, eyes still closed, mouth still smiling, actually let out a small laugh. He opened his eyes and allowed his calm mask to settle over his face before he looked at Soi Fon and Hitsugaya.

"Captains… when do we leave?"

* * *

At Orihime's insistence, everyone filed out of the room. She said she needed some more time to heal the Arrancar, and that "missing eyes don't just re-grow themselves!" And despite the fact that Ulquiorra insisted that it indeed could grow back, Soi Fon found herself outside of a closed door with the rest of the rag-tag group. Yumichika standing against the wall, his arms folded defiantly over his chest; Kira in his trademarked melancholy and silence; Hisagi with his air of arrogance; Kurosaki Ichigo, amber-colored eyes excited at the chance to once more defend the place he once despised; the baby-prodigy and the leader of the secret forces and the former Espada. It was hard to believe that they were the last hopes of the once mighty Gotei 13.

She looked at Grimmjow, her cheeks reddening in frustration and shame. She wanted to go to him, to fling her arms around his neck and drag him to the floor. She wasn't sure what he did in the room just now; when she had first seen him come through the window, she'd concreted herself against him. She didn't want to think about him, she didn't want to look his way if it was unnecessary. And yet one simple staredown had broken her.

Now she couldn't keep her eyes off of him as they stood in the hallway of The Urahara Shop.

"We need to discuss approach strategies," Hitsugaya said, the young captain once more being the only one who knew how to break the silence. "If we are entering Rukongai, it may be a wise move to split and enter from separate directions." He raised a finger and counted the people around the room. "Including Ulquiorra, there are eight of us; we each approach from a point on the compass. Once we enter, each of us should make our way to our divisions to determine the severity of any damages, and to ensure that our subordinates are alive. You three," he said, indicating Ichigo, Grimmjow, and the temporarily occupied Ulquiorra, "Will head directly for the first division."

"Wait a freakin' second here," Ichigo interjected. "You want the three of us to rush head first to Aizen's throne room?"

"Why? Do you feel as though your skills are inadequate against Aizen?"

The group turned to see Ulquiorra stepping out of the room, slowly and deliberately zipping up his jacket as he addressed Ichigo with both of his green eyes. Orihime followed him through the door, her hair slightly messy, her face slightly flushed. Soi Fon saw Grimmjow and Hisagi exchange quick glances at her appearance. Soi Fon had assumed that something was happening between the human girl and her former captor. But she'd never thought it to be sexual; Ulquiorra seemed too stoic for a sexual encounter and Orihime seemed too… _something_. But at the same time, Soi Fon found herself slightly jealous at the human girl—how come Inouecould simply trust Ulquiorra? What made her so certain that Ulquiorra wouldn't betray her in the end?

Ichigo looked at Orihime and back to Ulquiorra, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. "It's not that… I'm not afraid or anything. I'm just not sure if that's the best idea."

"I never _said_you were afraid, Kurosaki Ichigo. I simply asked if you felt as though your skills are not on par with Aizen's. I do not want a comrade who is unable to hold his own in this battle."

"Why you…" Ichigo gritted his teeth as he glared at the expressionless Espada. "I _am_ strong enough. I just… I wanted to make sure that we all understood how dangerous that is."

"It is understood."

"Well… good."

"Now that Kurosaki is done making a fool of himself," Hitsugaya resumed, silently relishing the angered look on the boy's face. "We should make our final preparations before leaving for Soul Society. Everyone meet up in a half-hour."

The group divided, people going in different directions to attend to their last-minute errands. Soi Fon made no sound as she walked past Grimmjow and headed for her quarters. She wanted him to follow her, but she didn't want to ask him to follow. That would be admitting defeat, admitting that she was wrong. That she was afraid to care about him.

She made it to her room and began to prepare, pulling _Suzumebachi_out and polishing his long blade. She kept one ear focused on the door, hoping that she would hear it silently glide open so she could turn and see Grimmjow standing at the entrance of her quarters. But after the minutes dragged by, she felt her hopes disappear. She looked back down at the zanpakuto in her hands and sighed.

"_What am I so concerned about?"_She'd asked this question to herself as she polished her sword. So when _Suzumebachi_ spoke back to her, Soi Fon could hardly believe it.

_That he will leave you too, dummy._The voice was that of a young man, the teasing tenor contained in the words was unmistakable. It always was.

"_This is the first time you speak to me in decades, and that's what I get?"_ Soi Fon had always been slightly confused by her zanpakuto; whereas she was quiet and respectable, _Suzumebachi_was a snot-nosed punk kid with no manners. She never understood why he had chosen her, and she doubted she ever would.

_Has it truly been that long, Shaolin? I was asleep._He knew she hated being called by her birth name and he knew that it was the only way to get a rise out of her. And getting a rise out of Soi Fon was the only way that talking to her was any fun. _Besides, I helped you master your bankai, didn't I? Are you telling me I don't get a nap after that?_

"You _hardly did anything, Suzie."_ Soi Fon decided to fight fire with fire and address him by his most reviled of nicknames. _"You just stood there and threw poisonous torpedoes at me for three days."_

The spirit sighed in her head, loudly and dramatically enough to warrant a small laugh from his wielder.

"_Well, regardless of how irritating you are, it's—"_

_Listen to me Soi. When Yoruichi left, whose shoulder did you cry on for all those years?_

She didn't understand where he was going with that question. The teasing tone in his voice was as present as it always was, but something about the question rang with an honesty she rarely heard from him. Still, humor was his favorite method of attack.

"_Certainly not yours. You don't even have a shoulder."_

_I was always sure to make time to console you in your grief._The playful timbre had vanished. Now the voice was harsh and strained.

Soi Fon maintained silence. _Suzumebachi_had been there for her. Whenever she'd had troubled, dreams the young man would appear to her. He would take her in his slender black and yellow arms and hold her as she cried. He would stay with her until morning. And after all this time, the horror dawned on her, she'd never even said thank you. No wonder he didn't talk to her very often.

_I don't need a thank you,_he interjected, knowing her thoughts. _And I don't need an apology. Just promise you won't let it happen again, Shaolin? You know how much I hate it when you cry._

"_Thank you, Suze."_

"Soi."

She spun quickly, her heart stopping in her throat as Grimmjow entered her vision. He was leaned against the doorframe, his arms crossed and his eyes piercing. He approached her, quietly gliding through the room as she sat motionless on the bed. He sat next to her and looked into her eyes; she sank deeply into the azure pools as he glanced at her lightly, almost shyly. She swallowed hard, not knowing what to say, hoping that he would just forgive her, wishing that he would go away.

"Grimmjow, I…" she began when he put a finger up to her lips and silenced her.

"I know," he said, his trademark smirk turning up his lips, causing her cheeks to redden. "You're a goddamned island Soi, I understand that. You are a loner, you're strong, and you're indestructible. I wouldn't want you any other way." He paused, his smirk turning into a genuine smile as he relished her biting on her lower lip. "But you're also vulnerable. As much as you hide it— and believe me, you hide it very well— you are afraid. You don't trust easily. I wouldn't imagine towards anyone, but especially not me. And that's completely understandable; I used to be enemy number one, remember?"

She chuckled lightly at his joke. She adored this, him coming and talking to her. It was everything she wanted after Yoruichi had left; it was everything she wanted when Hisagi was around. Someone to silently recognize how much she needed a companion.

"But I want you to know that I would never do anything to hurt you, my little Captainess." He stood to leave, smirking down at her as he rose to his feet. "And don't try to kill me anymore."

He turned to go when she grabbed his hand and pulled him down to the bed. She kissed him roughly, enjoying the feel of his lips against hers. "I'll try my best," she murmured lightly in a lull between kisses. He pulled her closer to him, her chest rubbing against his as she slid her body across his to sit in his lap. She began to slowly grind against him, feeling him respond as he moved against her.

"Grimmjow."

She froze at the cold voice coming from the doorway. She turned her head slowly and breathed a small sigh of embarrassed relief when she saw Ulquiorra standing at the entrance of the room. His face showed no sign of amusement or discomfort as he stood silently with his hands in his pockets. She slid off of Grimmjow so that the two Arrancar could speak.

"What is it Ulquiorra?" The blue-haired Espada was not pleased.

"The half hour has expired," Ulquiorra responded monotonously. "Captain Hitsugaya asked that I notify the two of you." He turned to leave, but paused and turned his head to the side. She could see the corner of his usually straight-lined mouth was turned upward ever so slightly. "I do appreciate the both of you being in the same room. It made my retrieving of the two of you that much easier."

They rose from the bed agonizingly. She gathered up her zanpakuto and turned to kiss Grimmjow before they walked out into the open. The kiss was warm and sweet and slow— it lacked the fervor of their usual kisses, which were ripe with passion and desire. This kiss just seemed to last forever. And Soi Fon was okay with that.

"Now we _have to_ come back alive," he said with a smirk. She scoffed and hit his chest with an open palm.

"Tch. That was the most cliché thing I've ever heard." She turned and walked out of the room, calling after him as she went. "Come on, kitty-cat. We'll be late."

As they once more stepped out into the lot behind the Shop, Grimmjow strode ahead of her and stood next to Ulquiorra. Soi Fon took up a spot net to her friend and fellow captain. The Arrancar began explaining the way the _garganta_worked, the way one must create a bridge of spirit particles to walk on.

"So," Hitsugaya's voice broke Soi Fon's concentration, although she was not paying attention to what Grimmjow was _saying._ "I assume everything was worked out?"

"With what?" she asked, her eyes darting to his questioningly. When he just smiled and looked back at the two Arrancar ahead of them, she gasped lightly. "You knew?"

"Of course I knew, Soi. I'm not blind."

"Does anyone else… know?"

"Not that I know of." He looked at her, the small grin still on his lips. "It might be best to keep it a secret until this is all over."

"How long have you known?"

"Since we got to the real world. But I had my suspicions before then."

"You're a little bastard," she said with a chuckle.

"You look happy around him, you know," He said, ignoring her insult. "Happier than I've ever seen you."

Soi Fon could feel her cheeks redden at Toshirou's words. She couldn't believe he'd known for so long. She couldn't believe he approved. "You're still a little bastard."

He just laughed lightly as Ulquiorra touched his finger to the air, the _garganta_tearing open a hole in the sky.

* * *

_**author's note**_

_short chapter as a set-up for the big ones coming up. gonna be working all weekend, not to mention i've got finals comin' up at school, so the next chapter might be a hot minute. but i've got the whole rest of the story planned out and i'm quite excited about it. you should be too. it's gonna be good._

_i've gotten some great reviews lately. keep em coming. the better they are, the better my chapters. i'm just kiddin; my story will be what it will be._

_seriously though, if you enjoy my story, tell me about it. i love to read what you have to say._

_jta!~_

_**nocturne in F# major, op. 15, no. 2 - frédéric chopin**_

_**piano sonata no. 14 in C# minor (moonlight) - ludwig von beethoven**_


	20. Vaqueros y Indios

_**Vaqueros y Indios**_

He stepped out of the _garganta_ and into the warm night air of Rukongai. His body practically swelled at the amount of spirit particles in the atmosphere; it was nowhere near as dense as the concentration in Hueco Mundo, but it was far better than in the material world. Grimmjow Jaggerjaques breathed in the air of Soul Society as if it were his last supper, his chest heaving up and down as he slowly strode forward along the dirt streets. As the rest of the team spilled out of the darkness, his eyes began to suspiciously sweep along the small shacks that lined the road they'd landed on. He'd never been in Rukongai, but he was almost positive that the buildings were not supposed to be on fire.

The shocked gasps behind him confirmed his assertion.

The rest of the group looked around in confusion as they stepped out of the _garganta._They continued on, walking silently through the deserted streets of the Kusajishi district. Grimmjow could feel eyes staring at them from the ruined buildings, hidden shadows following their movements as they travelled. He saw the rest of the team glancing about carefully at the buildings; they could see the shadows too. The shinigami quickened the pace slightly and they inched closer together as they moved.

They turned a corner and faced a large and deserted courtyard. Several figures darted back into the shadows at their arrival. The group halted with the exception of Hisagi, who continued forward into the empty space. He stood in the center, his body glowing orange from the nearby fires and blue from the full moon. He unlocked his zanpakuto, sliding it out of the scabbard a few inches, the clean blade glinting in the light. He stood silently and rigidly, the group waiting at the mouth of the courtyard.

The attack was sloppy. A man lunged out from the shadows, brandishing a club in his flailing hand as he yelled and rushed at the lieutenant. Hisagi acted swiftly and re-sheathed his blade before extending a swift foot into the air. The man's jaw connected with the bottom of Hisagi's shoe, eliciting a sickening crunch as he fell to the ground in a puddle of blood and teeth. Another man emerged from the darkness, a pipe held high over his head. Hisagi deftly grabbed the pipe as the man swung it at his skull. The shinigami flipped the man by his wrist and stepped on his throat as he landed on the ground. Hisagi applied pressure on his assailant's windpipe as he pulled up on his arm. The man on the ground wheezed and choked as Hisagi looked down into his frantic eyes.

"Stop."

The shinigami glanced up quickly as fifty men emerged from the buildings surrounding the courtyard. The rest of the group pulled their swords, preparing to attack if necessary. One man stepped out from the mob, his wrinkled face as dirty as the rags that covered his body. He glared at Hisagi with steeled eyes.

"Let him go," the old man said, never taking his eyes off of the lieutenant.

"Why should I, old man?" Hisagi replied coolly, returning the cold stare. "He tried to kill me. The least I should do is remove the arm that failed him." He pulled once more on the wrist, provoking a strained groan from the man on the ground.

"We thought you were also going to attack us," the elderly man spoke, his eyes dropping sorrowfully. "We couldn't afford to wait."

Grimmjow was confused. Why would they fear a shinigami? He could understand them attacking him, an Arrancar, but Hisagi alone was assaulted— why would these citizens fight their exalted guardians? And why would they assume the shinigami would attack them first?

"Why would we attack you?" Hisagi's train of thought was apparently on par with Grimmjow's. "We are members of the Gotei 13, the sworn protectors of Soul Society…" Hisagi trailed off as he looked at the group of people lining the courtyard. Their bloodied faces looked at him with apprehension. "…what happened here?"

"The shinigami attacked us this morning," was the old man's sorrowful response. "They entered our villages and killed indiscriminately, their eyes filled with rage. They set fire to our homes and killed our people and left."

Hisagi dropped the arm he was holding as he looked at the man in shock. "You must be mistaken, old man. The shinigami would never…"

His voice dropped away as the group parted slightly and two men dragged a person forward. A person he immediately recognized as Abarai Renji. The sixth division lieutenant was badly bloodied, but remained conscious. As the two men brought him closer, Hisagi could see that his friend's eyes were glazed over, his normally fierce black eyes deadened by a light blue coating. Renji's eyes locked onto Hisagi's and he snarled and struggled against his captors. The red-haired lieutenant's battered condition prevented him from escaping their grasps, and he soon collapsed to his knees. Hisagi stared in disbelief as he watched his friend get dragged away slowly. After a quick conversation with the older man, Hisagi bowed slightly and turned away from the courtyard and returned to the group.

"Was that Abarai?" Kira was the first to question his fellow lieutenant. "Was that Renji they just hauled off?"

"Yes," Shuuhei said solemnly as he turned to the rest of the group. "It would seem that Aizen's _Kyouka Suigetsu _has completely hypnotized Abarai. He was the only shinigami that these people captured during the pillaging that Aizen no-doubt orchestrated."

"What are they going to do with Renji?" Yumichika asked, his gaze watching the group of people slowly disperse back into the shadows.

"I've asked them not to harm him further until we find a way to break the hypnosis." He sighed softly, "if that's even possible."

"I have long hypothesized," Ulquiorra interjected, his monotone voice bouncing off of the walls of the courtyard as the group resumed walking towards the skyline of Seireitei. "That Aizen's _bankai _held mind controlling properties. Perhaps that is what we just witnessed?"

"How do you propose we stop it?" Hitsugaya asked.

"If the technique is anything akin to Captain Soi Fon's _shikai_, perhaps only Aizen himself can deactivate the hypnosis."

"Fuckin' great," Grimmjow exclaimed. "So we'd have to kill him to break the spell?"

"Without underestimating him, perhaps even his death will not reverse it," Ulquiorra theorized. "But maybe by fighting him directly, we would be able to temporarily distract him from the mind control and allow the technique to be halted."

They reached the great wall that surrounded Seireitei as the green-eyed Arrancar finished speaking. While the defense wall was erected, the gate was left wide open. Grimmjow didn't like the look of the open door; it seemed as though they were left open on purpose.

As if Aizen were inviting them in.

"Everyone remembers the plan?" Hitsugaya addressed them as he turned towards the group. "Head to your divisions and assess all damages. Try and maintain stealth as you move—the enemies are no longer hollows and Arrancar. They are our hypnotized colleagues. Avoiding all contact with them is vital…" He grew silent as he stared at the ruined streets in the court of pure souls. He sighed before he wordlessly flash-stepped out of sight.

The rest of the team followed his example, Soi Fon giving the former Sexta Espada a small wink before she vanished from his vision. Grimmjow Jaggerjaques was still grinning when he, Ulquiorra Schiffer, and Kurosaki Ichigo flew forward to end the war.

* * *

Kira Izuru appeared out of nothingness and into the captain's office of the third division. The back wall of the room was almost completely blown out, the insignia of the third division hanging from one hinge over the gaping hole left in the wall behind the desk. Papers were strewn about haphazardly, the wind aiding in their dances across the wooden floors.

_Well at least nothing's on fire, _he thought with a sense of saddened relief.

He rarely came into this room anymore. Even as the acting captain of the third division, he'd retained his old office. He told the division members various reasons for his not using the vacant captain's office: he did his best work in his own office, he didn't feel qualified enough to occupy the captain's rooms, he liked his chair better than the captain's. And he would spout forth all of these excuses with a sense of humility and humor, his hand typically rubbing the back of his neck as he closed his eyes and smiled.

He hated pretending to be so friendly.

The truth was that he despised to be in that room without Ichimaru Gin. Ever since his parents had died, Kira had felt lost. He'd felt homeless. Things were easier for Abarai; his red-haired friend had always _been_homeless and had no need for the comfort of a caring leader. Hinamori had struggled with the loss of her grandmother and Toshirou's closeness, but had soon replaced her desire for them with her desire to please Aizen. While Kira had admired Aizen back then, he'd never felt as though the man could be what he needed. Even when he'd been Izuru's own captain.

Then one day Aizen shipped him and Renji away to other divisions. He'd understood the captain's reasoning for sending Renji to the eleventh— the tattooed shinigami had always been very hot-tempered and battle hungry. Once he'd met Madarame Ikkaku, it was apparent that the Zaraki squad was the next logical step for his development. But Kira had been slightly downtrodden about his own transfer; he once more felt abandoned by someone close to him.

Until he met his new captain.

Kira had known Ichimaru Gin prior to his transfer into the third division. The man had saved his life during the sabotaged mission in the real world, but he'd never really spoken to any of them. He'd also been Kira's lieutenant for a mere three days before Gin was promoted to captaincy. But Izuru wasn't even a seated officer at the time, and therefore had no reason to be addressed by the lieutenant of his division. Since then, he'd only seen him on one of his rare visits to the fifth division. And to everyone in the fifth, it seemed as though the two captains were beginning to dislike each other tremendously.

But that all changed when Kira had first spoken to Gin. As the newly appointed third seat of the division, he was immediately dumped upon by the lieutenant at the time and loads of paperwork that were not his appeared on his desk. Kira struggled with the unfair assignments, knowing that he could never get all of the paperwork done on time, but not wanting to cause any sort of commotion. He'd only recently been given the position and he had no desire to step on anyone's toes. And, as he predicted, he was called into the captain's office because of the unfinished work.

Kira had been nervous, but he'd also slept very little the night before during his attempt to complete the forms and documents. He stood before the smiling, silver-haired captain in silent fury, awaiting the repercussions so that he could hopefully grab a quick nap. But the punishment never came; in fact, his captain only laughed and apologized to the blonde-haired youth before dismissing him with a quick promise that the lieutenant would be completing the rest of the paperwork for the week. Kira smiled happily before exiting the room, his head soaring with respect for his new captain.

And two months later, Kira found himself being promoted when that same lieutenant was killed on a mission in the real world.

As the lieutenant of the third division, his relationship with Gin flourished. It started simply, the lieutenant doing what the captain ordered. But Ichimaru persisted on talking to the normally introverted Kira Izuru, bringing him slowly out of his quiet shell. Over the years, Kira began to see Gin as the replacement father he'd sought after for decades. Those feelings were never as strong as they were on the day he'd lost a fight with Rangiku Matsumoto and his captain betrayed them all.

And here he was, his hand running along the wooden desk that he'd stood in front of on that day almost fifty years ago. He hated Ichimaru Gin. He despised the man that had done nothing but deceive him into thinking he truly cared. The man that had caused him to raise his blade against two of his very dear friends in his honor.

If people only knew the true reasons that Kira Izuru hated this room.

He whirled on his feet, feeling the approaching presence of another. The room was silent and dark, the only visibility coming from the moonlight that poured through the hole in the wall. He drew his sword slowly and silently; he could hardly see anything in the room already and the last thing he needed was to be caught off-guard by a sneak attack from the shadows. He heard a silent footstep to his left, causing his head to snap in the direction of the noise. His mouth opened slightly in shock at the sight of the white-haired man entering the room.

Lieutenant Sasakibe Chojirou stepped into the pool of blue light across from Kira and drew his sword. He leveled it at his fellow lieutenant and remained silent for almost a full ten seconds. Kira was shocked to see this man before him; he'd had more conversations with the Captain-commander than he'd had with Sasakibe. And of all the lieutenants in Soul Society, his abilities were the least talked about. He was simply assumed to be the strongest of all the vice-captains; why else would Yamamoto keep him as his lieutenant?

The mustachioed lieutenant rushed Kira with incredible speed, swinging his blade down viciously into the blonde-haired man's zanpakuto. Kira hadn't expected such ferocity out of his opponent, and was sent flying backwards into the wooden desk he'd only moments ago been staring at. The piece of furniture splintered as his body tore through it, the chips of wood flying upwards and obscuring his sight. Kira brought his sword around to his back to block as he heard Sasakibe _shunpo_behind him. The older lieutenant's blow was effectively blocked, allowing Kira to spin around and launch his own series of strikes against his opponent.

Sasakibe's face remained emotionless as Kira forced him backward, towards the hole in the far wall of the room. Kira raised his sword, planning to bring it down with all his strength, in hopes of knock Chojirou's zanpakuto out of his hands. But as he swung downwards, the first division lieutenant produced a small red fireball and shot it forward into Kira's gut. The _kidou_spell was rushed and had not been very powerful, but it had been potent enough to knock Kira backwards. He recovered his footing in time to see Sasakibe vanish into the air. Kira could feel him approaching, but the blast to his stomach had disoriented him slightly— he had no idea what direction the next attack was coming from. Chojirou appeared directly in front of him, close enough to reach out and punch the surprised lieutenant in the face. Kira stumbled backwards and clutched at his bloodied nose. His vision blurred as tears began to unwittingly form in his eyes. He tried to keep his focus on his opponent, but when the white-haired man vanished once more, Kira did the only thing he could think of.

"Raise your head, _Wabisuke!"_

Kira's blade bent and snapped into the square hook that he was so known for. He figured that if Sasakibe was fast enough to evade his attacks, he would simply need to weigh him down. And when he was stuck to the floor, Kira would end his treacherous life.

Predicting the next strike, he raised _Wabisuke_in a preemptive defense. He was slightly confused when no strike was landed against his blade or his body. He looked around the dark room, his eyes straining through the night air to locate his opponent. He scanned the entire room before leaping out of the hole in the wall and into his division's training fields. Sasakibe Chojirou was there, standing in silence, his golden eyes trained on the approaching shinigami. Kira landed on the grass across from the man and awaited another attack, blood trickling slowly down from his nose. But his opponent made no move towards him. He only watched as Kira regained his breath.

"Why," Kira spoke suddenly, his own voice surprising him as he asked the question that everyone had wondered since Ulquiorra had told them that Sasakibe was responsible for this second betrayal. "Why did you betray us? Why did you kill the Captain-commander?"

Sasakibe Chojirou chuckled slightly and raised his sword.

"I think it is awfully humorous, Lieutenant Kira," he spoke calmly, "Of all the questions you wanted to ask, you chose to ask me that one."

"What do you mean?" Kira asked, his voice ripe with confusion.

"Are you telling me that you never wondered why I was in the third division? Why didn't you ask why I sought you out, Kira Izuru?" Kira's eyes widened in shock. This man had _known _that he would head to his old division? And why would he come to fight _him_?

"The answer," Sasakibe continued, not allowing Kira the chance to ask that second question, "is because my sword's abilities are the perfect foil to yours. I know that if I strike your blade, it will double the weight of my own…" he brought his weapon up to his face, the tip pointing directly at the sky. "… but what will you do when you discover that my zanpakuto is _weightless?"_

Kira dropped back into a defensive position. A weightless zanpakuto? How could such a thing exist? He looked on in horror as his opponent released his blade, the katana reshaping into a rapier at the sound of its name.

"Peirce him through, _Gonryoumaru!"_

_

* * *

_

Yumichika stepped cautiously into the perimeters of the eleventh division. Or, rather, what was left of the eleventh; the walls that surrounded the large plaza were heaped in piles of burning rubble and rock. He continued his walk into the exceptionally large training square, his sandals gliding mutely over the sand and cobblestones. The court itself was strewn with bodies, some he recognized as his division members, and some whose bodies were too maimed to be identified.

He came across the body of Aramaki Makizou, whom the lieutenant had once nicknamed_"Makimaki"._The torso had been slashed repeatedly by a large blade, the left arm connected to the rest of the body by a mere tendon or two. The same went for the right leg. Whoever had killed this _Makimaki_had wielded a weapon with a considerable amount of strength behind it.

And finding the body's severed head almost thirty yards away didn't help Yumichika feel any better about his unseen opponents.

Yumichika continued to stride forward in silence, entering the dark and empty barracks. He peeked his head into a blackened room, the smell of blood wafting up to his nostrils and making his face scrunch up in disgust. Reaching up to the wall, he flipped the small light-switch to no effect. He could barely make out the forms on the gloomy floor and was slightly thankful the light hadn't worked— he had a feeling that these bodies had been dismembered as well.

He restarted his journey into the bowels of his division, idly thinking how much he hated the dark, and how he wished to have someone jump out and attack him directly. He could feel someone watching his movements through the dim hallways and he wanted to scream and swing his blade around until the walls fell and he could see again, hoping his pursuer would be shown in the pale moonlight.

He stepped into the mess hall and suddenly cursed his desire to see.

There were dead shinigami strewn all over the floor. He walked through the room in horror, stepping over limbs and overturned tables. Zanpakuto were sticking out of walls and bodies alike, even the blood-slickened floor had blades rising from it. Yumichika continued to walk, his face turning slightly green as he began recognizing more and more of the corpses that resided in this gory sepulcher. His mind flashed back to Abarai Renji's bloodied body struggling against the hold of the two indigent men, the lieutenant's eyes glazed over in that strange cerulean of hypnosis. Revulsion sank down into Ayasegawa Yumichika's gut as he realized that Aizen must have hypnotized the entire division and set them against one another. He leaned down and pulled the eyelids of a fallen comrade open and exhaled painfully when he saw that the light-blue film remained over his deadened eyes.

"Shit."

Yumichika hadn't even planned on uttering the expletive, so when his voice rang out in the silence and bounced off the gore-speckled walls, he leapt back in surprise and tripped over one of the countless severed limbs that lay on the floor. He fell sideways, landing cheek-first in an almost dry pool of sticky, crimson blood. He clumsily scrambled to his feet and stormed out of the room, angrily ignoring the sound of dead fingers breaking under his feet behind him as he fled. He knew that _someone_had to be alive. Some member of this elite group of fighters would certainly have exited this violent orgy as a survivor, as a victor. _Surely my captain would—_

His thoughts froze in his head as an icy fear halted the rest of his body.

His captain. Captain Zaraki Kenpachi, the most violent man to ever step foot into Seireitei, could certainly have survived this battle-royale. But would Yumichika really want to discover his enraged captain under the spell that Aizen had him under? It would seem that the rest of the division had not received any mercy from their captain— could he even dare to expect any different treatment? He was almost positive that if he were to stumble across Kenpachi in such a state, he would surely lose his life.

A series of loud bangs rang through the hallway he was walking down, almost causing him to once more stumble in surprise. He swallowed hard as he realized that the noise had come from the captain's quarters, his arms shaking slightly as his feet began to approach the source of the sound against his will. He leapt slightly as the banging repeated itself. Ayasegawa Yumichika was a skilled and capable fighter, and his bravery in battle was almost unparalleled. And yet here he was, trembling like a wet kitten as he slowly walked towards the furious sounds of what would probably be his death. And it was completely out of his control; he'd felt the fear of death before, but it was _nothing_ like this. He'd never imagined how frightened of his captain he truly was. He was alright with dying. He was not alright with being dismembered by Zaraki Kenpachi. He rounded the final corner of the hallway and froze in his tracks.

At the base of the captain's padlocked door, crumpled in a ball of pink and scarlet, was the lifeless body of Lieutenant Kusajishi Yachiru.

Yumichika's mouth went dry as he looked at the small, blood-covered body of his young friend. Her face was paled and grimaced as her arms lifelessly gripped at a wound in her gut. Her small hands did little to hide the large gash, however, as Yumichika could almost see the wall behind her through the hole in her belly. He felt a lump form in his throat as he looked at her innocent face, frozen in dying anguish. The pounding against the door once more resumed, this time more enraged than it had ever sounded. The brutal and hypnotized man behind the wood could feel Yumichika's presence, and struggled even harder to escape from the confines of the captain's office. Yumichika gritted his teeth in anger and formed a large blue fireball in his hands before blasting the door inwards into the room.

And his jaw dropped as the smoke cleared and he saw into the captain's chambers.

Zaraki Kenpachi lay on the floor, his body cleaved completely in half at the ribs. His lifeless eyes stared out at nothing while his mouth slowly oozed with rich and thick blood. His normally rigid hair was limp and splayed out on the floor in lifelessness. Yumichika was so shocked at the sight of this powerful man's corpse that he barely noticed the other shinigami in the room approaching him. Yumichika turned and blocked the blade that swung down at his head.

His eyes widened as Ikkaku retracted _Hoozukimaru_ and glared at him through blue-tinted eyes.

"I-Ikkaku?" Yumichika stuttered as his best friend split the staff and whirled the blade at his side. _How on earth did he kill Kenpachi? How did he survive that entire slaughter without gaining so much as a severe wound?_Yumichika's mind raced with questions as his entranced friend began to attack him ruthlessly. Madarame Ikkaku had one shallow slice running along his side, but aside from that, he was relatively untouched. _What has Aizen done to him?_ Ikkaku's spear swung forward and caught Yumichika off guard; the black-haired shinigami whipped his head back, but a shallow slice made its way across his forehead, cutting the pair of red feathers that adorned his eyelash in half.

Yumichika stared at Ikkaku in disbelief—Aizen _had_done something to him. Ikkaku was never this fast or accurate before. His attacks were normally driven by power and recklessness and the love of battle; never had Yumichika seen him at such a level of skill. If Aizen had augmented him _this_ tremendously, it was no wonder he'd been able to kill Zaraki Kenpachi.

Ayasegawa Yumichika had no choice.

"Bloom, _Fuji Kujaku."_ He called out his zanpakuto's ugly, four-bladed form, hoping that he wouldn't need to sap Ikkaku of his life with the more beautiful one. And Yumichika knew that if he brought out _Ruriiro Kujaku,_he wouldn't be able to stop draining his friend's energy; a hypnotized Abarai Renji had fought and struggled, even as he was on the edge of collapse. With Ikkaku under the same hex as the lieutenant, Yumichika had no other option than to render him unconscious physically. He'd fought the bald-headed shinigami countless times; he practically knew _Hoozukimaru_as well as he did his own zanpakuto. Even with him being under Aizen's amplification spell, he should be able to take Ikkaku down.

The bald man smiled blankly at Yumichika before thrusting his spear out in front of himself, the staff held horizontally in his fists.

"_Bankai!"_

_Uh oh._

_

* * *

_

_**author's note**_

_the time has come, my faithful readers. the final battle for soul society, hell, the__**world**__, is at hand. or at least, if i were to take over bleach it would be. screw that chimaera parca allon motherfucker. i wanna see some good ol' fashioned shinigami-on-shinigami-on-espada action. oh well, them's the breaks._

_i have some bad news, however. a few of my oldest and closest friends are coming to visit me this week and i'm afraid i'll be spending all my time snowboarding. but don't worry, i'll take some pictures and send em to ya if ya want. we're a trio of sexy sexy men, so i wouldn't blame ya for wantin' to see._

_pfft._

_seriously, though, i'm sorry for leavin you guys on such a cliff-hanger, but my hands are tied on this one._

_if you like my story, please review. i would love to come back from my week off to an inbox full of reviews; i think that would propel my work ethic on the next chapters into ludicrous speed. it would only benefit you to review the story._

_see you in a week, kiddies._

jta.

_**vaqueros y indios - general patton vs. the x-ecutioners**_


	21. Champion Requiem

_**Champion Requiem**_

The second division's walls shined with the moonlit blood of unseen bodies as its captain strode silently through the halls.

Soi Fon's blank expression held back the fury that was hotly and silently coursing through her body. How could her elite division have been wiped out so easily and quickly? The Mobile Corps. were supposed to be among the top protectors of Seireitei, rivaled only by the captains and lieutenants of the Gotei 13. How could there not be a single survivor? Why couldn't they stop whatever enemies that must have marauded through the halls of her division? She wanted something to lash out at. She needed someone to kill.

It was a complete disgrace. Ten members of her most skilled squadron were assigned to watch over the Captain-commander, and another ten to ensure the protection of her division. And from what she had witnessed within the past three hours, her select few had done nothing to maintain their objectives. Yamamoto was assassinated by his own lieutenant and her division was a crimson blood-bath; as the leader and organizer of the men who were supposed to prevent such atrocities from occurring, Soi Fon felt like an utter failure.

She silently arrived at her office, her teeth clenching as she saw the doors to her quarters in splinters on the floor. Her hands tightened into fists, her well-trimmed fingernails all but grinding crescent-shaped troughs into the skin of her soft palms. Her desk was overturned, important documents strewn about her room, irreplaceable paperwork coming to rest in scarlet puddles on the floor.

She continued forward, her mind idly wondering where the bodies of her men were; surely this blood had to have a source? Her eyes trailed along the wall, her silver irises following five thin lines of blood that slashed across the dark yellow paint of her office. She realized with some disdain that the quintet of red streaks came from the fingers of one of her subordinates. She stepped closer, seeing a white fingernail embedded in the clay wall. She grimaced at the thought of the helpless man's futile struggle, the once proud assassin screaming and clawing at the flat surface as he was pulled violently to his demise.

She sighed heavily and drew her sword, turning around to finally face the pink-haired Espada who had been following her since she'd entered the building.

"My, my," Szayel-Aporro Granz said with a smirk as he looked into the steeled eyes of the captain in front of him. "And here I thought I had done an impeccable job of sneaking up behind you."

"Don't even think for a second," Soi Fon began, her voice as hardened as her eyes, "that _you_could catch me by surprise."

"And I wouldn't want it any other way, Captain Soi Fon." He drew his long blade from its lavender sheath. "I would be quite disappointed in you if you weren't drastically more skilled than your subordinates…" his mouth turned up into a wicked smile, "…I'm happy to see that you'll be a _wonderful _test subject."

She rushed at him, her zanpakuto swinging out in a wide and aggressive arc. He side-stepped the blade and swung out with his own, intercepting her sword and sending sparks as the two weapons clashed into one another. Soi Fon growled loudly and pushed the Espada away, following him as he flew backwards through the corridors of the second division. She slashed _Suzumebachi _forward again and again, driving Szayel-Aporro ever backward; despite her insistent advances on him, the pink-haired Arrancar cackled loudly with amusement as he blocked her sword strikes.

"Captain Soi Fon!" he called out as he ducked a high swinging slash, "You should train your men to fight as well as you do! I didn't even need to have Aizen hypnotize them! I was able to retain the pleasure of killing them all to myself!"

He was trying to aggravate her, she knew it. He was taunting her well-renowned pride by insulting her skills as a commanding officer. Her face was twisted in anger and a desire for vengeance as the burst from the halls of the second division and into the warm night of Soul Society. Szayel-Aporro continued to evade her sword as he leapt from rooftop to rooftop. He was eventually able to place a distance between himself and the shinigami captain by dashing several buildings away.

"At least," Soi Fon began, her voice trembling in rage, "the men you 'so easily' killed would have had the courage to fight back. You just seem to enjoy the retreat, Arrancar." She was trying to goad him in to fighting back, to hurt his pride like he was destroying hers.

"I have always been more of a thinker than a fighter, Captain. I prefer to take a step back and observe my opponent before I meet them in combat. However," he continued, his voice drenched with rancor, "the men of whom you speak only fought valiantly for the first few minutes. After they realized how hopelessly outmatched they were, I was able to witness the once proud Secret Mobile Corps. run in terror as I—"

"_Sting him to death, Suzumebachi!"_

Her enraged scream cut him off as her zanpakuto made its transformation into the venomous glove that struck fear into the hearts of her opponents and death in two blows. He had angered her to the point of white-hot fury; _no-one_insulted her elite division like he did. She would drive her stinger through him over and over until his blood was completely replaced by her toxins and he lay dead at her feet.

Szayel-Aporro was obviously taken aback by her sudden release. He didn't even have time to react as she drove the golden dagger into his chest, his eyes widening in fear and surprise as the black hornet's crest appeared over his heart. She had rushed past him with the attack and was already rushing forward to place the second black death-mark on his white uniform. He was barely able to bring his blade up to block, but the force of her strike sent him flying backwards and through the wall of a nearby building. She rushed after his falling form, flinging herself through the debris of the wall as it fell around her. Her eyes searched the room swiftly and she soon found the white and pink shape of her enemy. He broke through another wall and flew off, the shinigami once more following him outside.

He disappeared in a flash of _sonido, _hoping to lose the woman who was trying with all her might to end his existence. Soi Fon was not about to be disposed of—the former protégé of the "Goddess of Flash" would not be outrun so easily. She stepped in and out of sight as she pursued the fleeing scientist, each burst of _shunpo_bringing her closer and closer to her prey as the two of them passed over division after division. With a final flash, she was running parallel with Szayel-Aporro. His eyes widened in shock as she swung her foot out and into his ribcage, sending him plummeting into the walls of the twelfth division below.

She lowered herself into the hole formed in the building, relishing the appearance of her disheveled opponent. He began backing away from her slowly, his white outfit torn and dirtied, his face twisted in fear, his legs carrying his body clumsily into a large and empty room. Soi Fon stepped forward slowly and deliberately, glaring at her frightened opponent. She knew he was a scientist and that he had done his research on her zanpakuto; he would know what the second sting would do to him. She wouldn't need to waste her breath telling him about his death.

She rushed forward, her golden hand shooting forward faster than his blade could block it. The tip of her stinger entered his flesh in the exact center of the preexisting crest, the venom releasing itself into his bloodstream. She watched as his eyes widened and trembled as she pulled the needle from his chest, the second crest turning white with his demise. He groaned out in pain and his eyes rolled into the back of his head as the venom quickly ended his life. Soi Fon stepped back and watched for his body to fall to the ground.

But his eyes rolled forward as his mouth erupted into a wide and awful smile.

"Gotcha, Captain Soi Fon."

He brought his sword down along her chest, spilling her red blood upon the floor.

* * *

He knew better. He knew he should stick to the plan, but he couldn't simply pass by the building without checking on her first. He had to know how she was doing.

Hitsugaya Toshirou slowly and silently walked the empty halls of the fourth division, praying that Hinamori was okay.

As he approached the room he'd last seen her in, his mind began replaying all the memories he held of his lifelong friend—something it had been doing more and more of lately. She had been one of the first people he'd ever met when he arrived in Rukongai. Granny had taken him in that day, his small body shivering in the cold winter rain as the old woman stepped out into the streets and offered him sanctuary. He would never forget that moment, when the young girl with the milk-chocolate colored hair came up to him, wrapped him in a warm blanket, and called him a "whitey midget".

He and Hinamori Momo had been a sibling-like duo ever since, coming up with small and teasing nicknames for one another as the years went on. She'd maintained the use of "whitey", knowing full well that he hated the color of his hair with a passion. And one of the happiest days of his young life had been when he'd overheard Granny mention that Hinamori had once wet the bed. "Bed-wetter Momo" would become his end-all insult for years to come. Even when he'd reached his captaincy, he would still resort to calling her this under his breath.

But ever since Aizen had betrayed Soul Society, Hitsugaya had tried to think of anyone but his old friend. The last time he'd visited her, she'd done nothing but talk of "Captain Aizen" and his eventual escape from the clutches of Ichimaru Gin. He'd said little while she ranted on about how her captain was being tricked, and smiled politely at her fantasies of Aizen one day returning to Seireitei. He'd always hated his inability to speak up and tell her that she was delusional, but she was mentally fragile and he didn't want to hurt her by revealing to her that Aizen was never coming back.

Until his last visit.

During the battle of Karakura town, Hitsugaya had been grievously injured and spent a full day on a bed in the fourth division. When he awoke he was informed that the battle had been a crushing defeat and that his lieutenant, Matsumoto Rangiku, had been killed in the fight. He'd slowly risen out of bed, silently grieving at the loss of his friend and subordinate. He walked the halls of the medical wing aimlessly, blindly strolling to the room of his adopted sister. He found himself blankly listening to Momo prattle on about her Captain Aizen for almost an hour before he'd snapped. He stood up quickly enough to reopen the gash over his chest, but he shouted at her despite the blood flowing freely from his wound. He yelled that she was idiotically worshipping a traitor and that he would never be coming back for her. She'd stared at him blankly for almost two minutes before she looked away and sternly told him to leave.

_Looks like I was wrong, Momo._

He reached her room and took a deep breath. He was afraid of opening the door, afraid that Aizen had returned to finish what he'd started, that Hinamori would be dead in the hospital room. He slowly slid the door open, reticently peering at the bed she'd spent the last four months. His heart dropped as he saw the white sheets of the bed unoccupied, his long-time friend gone from the mattress. He sighed heavily as he walked across the room and sat on the bed. He could feel the tears form as he imagined her dead body at the foot of Aizen's throne.

"I told you he would come back, Toshirou."

His head snapped up at the voice. There she stood, her frail body standing in the doorway, _Tobiume _drawn and pointing at him from across the room.

"H-Hinamori?" he stuttered in shock. "What are—?"

"I told you and you wouldn't believe me," she interrupted. "He came to me today, Toshirou. He told me that he's forgiven me and that I could be his lieutenant again."

"Forgiven you?" It was incredulous. She believed that she'd done wrong in his eyes? No wonder she'd stayed so depressed for the past months. "Hinamori, you've done nothing wrong. He's an evil man and he's tricked you—"

"No, Toshirou. He's good. He's my Captain Aizen."

"Momo, listen to yourself!" Hitsugaya was practically shouting at her. It hurt him so much to see her like this. "You have to get a grip. Soul Society is in ruins!"

"No…"

"He's killed the Captain-commander and taken over Seireitei, Momo!"

"_No."_

"He's trying to kill us all. Even you!"

"_Shut up, Shiro!"_she screamed at him, her petite features curling in anger and hatred._"Snap, Tobiume!"_

She'd lost it. He was trying to talk sense into her, but she was too far gone, too absorbed with her fantasies of Aizen to listen to reason. Her zanpakuto quickly reshaped itself, gaining three prongs along its sides. She swung viciously, a purple and yellow ball of energy flying out from her blade. It scorched across the room, Hitsugaya barely dodging as the dense fireball blew away the wall behind him.

"Hinamori, what the hell are you doing?" Hitsugaya cried out to no avail as his oldest friend sent another blast of energy into his chest. He withdrew _Hyourinmaru_in time to block the fireball, but the force of the attack sent him flying out into the courtyards of the fourth division. She quickly followed him out, a ball of red _kidou_forming in her small left hand. He opened his mouth to once more plead for her to stop, but she'd already finished the spell.

"_Hadou 31: Shakkahou!"_

The red flame shot out with incredible speed and Hitsugaya only hardly managed to leap out of the way of the destructive blast. He landed hard on his knee and looked up in time to see that she'd sent forth another ball of energy from _Tobiume_. He brought his own blade up to block, but the blast was too strong and too well timed. He took the blast straight to his shoulder and was sent flying backwards against a wall. For the past few months, he'd only seen her as "poor little Momo", lying alone and depressed in the hospital bed. He'd forgotten that she was a lieutenant, that she was_Aizen's_lieutenant.

And that she was a damned good one.

He could hear _Hyourinmaru _screaming to him, calling out to be released. And as much as he wanted to oblige, Hitsugaya couldn't bring himself to release his zanpakuto against Hinamori. Not unless she gave him no choice.

"Momo, listen to me!" Hitsugaya was in a full-out retreat now, Hinamori angrily and blindly slashing at him. "You've gotta realize what you're doing! Why are you trying to kill me?"

"Because you want to kill Captain Aizen!"

"He's no longer your captain anymore!" Hitsugaya once more tried to reason with her, but his words again fell on deaf ears.

"_Yes he is!_" She screamed out as she slashed his shoulder, releasing a full stream of blood. Toshirou was shocked at the blow as he fell to the ground; she'd completely gotten through his defense. He hit the ground on his knees, his hand holding his body off the ground as he tried to catch his breath. She landed across from him, her eyes filled with anger.

"Momo…" He began, his voice heavy with sorrow. "Why can't you listen to me? Am I not important to you anymore?"

"Be quiet, Toshirou." Her voice began to quiver. He was suddenly getting through to her. He saw his chance.

"Remember the time we ate all that watermelon, Momo? You tickled me until I threw up and it was all red?"

"O-of course I remember that, Shiro," she smiled slightly, her sword lowering gradually as she recalled the summer day she'd visited little Shiro and Granny after she'd been accepted into the academy. Hitsugaya stood slowly as he continued to talk her out of her anger.

"And remember the party when I became a captain?"

"Yes, that was so much fun. We all stayed up too late that night. You looked horrible the next day, like you hadn't slept at all. I felt so bad for you. You must have been so nervous in front of all those…" Tears began to form as her words began to fail her. She dropped her sword completely, the tip of the blade resting in the pale dirt beneath their feet. She looked up, her normally bright eyes dark in shame and sorrow.

"Oh, Shiro. I'm so sorry. I was wrong. I'm so sorry for hurting you…"

Hitsugaya smiled sadly as he realized that Hinamori Momo was finally beginning to understand everything. He began to walk towards her, wanting so badly to embrace her, his friend he'd wanted for so long to return to him.

The long blade shot forward over his shoulder and into her stomach.

Hinamori's eyes widened as blood began to spill from her soft lips. Hitsugaya was so shocked he couldn't bring himself to move. He could only stare as the elongated zanpakuto retracted itself from the flesh of his friend, leaving her to fall to the ground in a helpless and bloody heap.

"Well now," the oily voice of Ichimaru Gin called out from over his shoulder. "We can't have you going all softie on us. Can we, Momo?"

* * *

_**author's note**_

_sorry for the lull there, kiddies. it's been a LONG and BUSY month in the jta residence. turns out my week of snowboarding extended itself. my bad. new semester starting up though, so i'll be at the computer more often for the next couple of months._

_yeah, yeah. our shinigami friends are dropping like flies, i know. big sorry to any hitsuhina fans out there, but... homegirl had it comin'. i mean, come on. "aizen-taichou! aizen-taichou!" she earned it. and i seem to be beating up on soi a lot lately. poor girl. whatever, she's a tough cookie- she can handle it._

_made a little joke in there referencing my other story. if you haven't read it, i recommend you check it out. then you'll realize why lil shiro was so tired after his captaincy party._

_if you liked this or any of the other chapters, please review. it lets me know that my imagination is still working after twenty-something years. speaking of imagination, finally saw 'spirited away'... that movie was trippy as fuck. got my imagination pumped, but still trippy as fuck. o/t: reviews plz._

_oh, and__**bsvp.**__you still owe me. lolz._

_if you like it then you shoulda put a ring on it,_

_jta~!_

_**champion requiem - mos def**_


	22. Six Shooter

_**Six-Shooter**_

He had his zanpakuto drawn before he even stepped foot into the ninth division. He'd felt his old captain's reiatsu the moment he'd slipped out of the _garganta,_felt it pulsing out as if it were looking for him.

And if Tousen Kaname was looking for Hisagi Shuuhei, he didn't need to search for long.

Hisagi strode into his division without fear or caution; Tousen would have made sure that the building was clear. The blind captain would perceive such an act as civility- another action in the long line towards his "justice". The same justice that the silent lieutenant sought to impale with his blade and crush beneath his foot.

The tattooed shinigami walked past closed door after closed door, the pulsating soul power reeling him ever deeper into his division. His feet slid silently over the worn wooden floors- if there had been any guards stationed through these halls, they would have been oblivious to his presence. He'd hidden his own reiatsu, quelling it down to almost nothing; Hisagi wanted the element of surprise on his side. Tousen knew he was coming, he just didn't know when.

If Hisagi could remove his former captain's mouth before it began to run, it would be an even greater victory.

He stepped noiselessly into the large Zen garden located in the center of the ninth division, the pale moon casting a cold blue glow on the white sands. He could feel Tousen's presence ahead of him, the urge for revenge dragging him ever forward. Hisagi began leaping deftly and silently from each of rocks, ensuring the patterns raked over the ground below was left undisturbed. He'd placed them there, after all.

"I see you still maintain your gardens," a cold voice spoke from behind him. "Shuuhei."

_So much for surprise,_Hisagi thought with irritation as he turned to face Tousen Kaname. The black captain stood on another rock, a few yards away from his former lieutenant. Hisagi clenched his jaw down as he glared at the man before him, his teeth pushing together hard enough to cause his gums to bleed. Tousen vanished from sight, triggering the same reaction from Shuuhei. The two shinigami reappeared in the still night air, having switched their positions on the labs of rock.

"My gardens are the only thing I find peace in these days," Hisagi spoke harshly at the traitorous captain. "Kaname."

Hisagi regretted leaving Tousen the opening; he knew that a phrase like the one he'd just uttered would elicit a speech on the finer points of righteousness. And that was a topic he had no desire to hear Tousen lecture on about.

He leapt out at his blind opponent, drawing his sword, not giving Tousen the opportunity to speak. Hisagi cut forward with his blade, but the shinigami before him vanished in a burst of _shunpo._Hisagi quickly followed, vanishing as Tousen re-materialized and lashed out with his own blade, the zanpakuto's lethal edge swinging harmlessly through the air. The blind ex-captain stood alone in the garden for a few seconds longer before he brought his sword up and behind him, blocking Hisagi's attack. The swords clashed briefly, the two zanpakuto pushing against one another in an invisible power-struggle before both shinigami vanished simultaneously.

"You've improved in my absence, Hisagi." Tousen said, reappearing on the same rock he'd started on. "I'm glad to see that you haven't allowed your skills to atrophy in these short months."

"Why would I?" Hisagi responded, his feet landing softly on the wood that encircled the sands of the garden, glaring down his old captain from the furthest point of the perimeter. "When one desires vengeance, one must constantly ensure that opportunity won't be wasted because of inability." Hisagi placed both hands around the hilt of his zanpakuto, his eyes drawing a deadly line on his opponent.

"Reap, _Kazeshini."_

Tousen didn't move as his former subordinate released his zanpakuto— he simply dodged as the spinning scythes flew out at his head, one of the blades lopping off two of his thin dreadlocks. Hisagi was already retracting the blade when he sent the second flying outwards, the onyx chain sliding through his well practiced hands. Tousen leapt up into the air, the second blade flying harmlessly under his feet. He spun as he ascended, bringing his zanpakuto to his side, hiding his thin silhouette in the cerulean moonlight.

"_Suzumushi Nishiki: Benihikou."_

Tousen slashed his blade outward from his hip, a trail of blades replicating and multiplying behind the swinging sword, shining in a deadly wake behind _Suzumushi's_path. The newly formed weapons hung in the air briefly before falling in a lethal waterfall of steel towards the ground below. Hisagi leapt up and back, his legs spinning above himself as he propelled himself away from the fatal rain. His feet landed nimbly on the roof above him as the blades hit the sands of the Zen garden below. He threw himself further into the air, slowing as he reached the same altitude as Tousen.

"_Kazeshini,"_ Tousen mused aloud. "It's been a while since I've seen his face in the open. You must truly desire your revenge on me, Hisagi." Tousen lowered his sword slightly as he spoke, his voice becoming ceremonial as he spoke. "Tell me, Shuuhei. Do you still hate the shape of your zanpakuto? Do you still insist on deriding its ability to extinguish life? You shouldn't. While taking the path with the least bloodshed is the most righteous…" Tousen's blind eyes glared at Hisagi with an unseeing intensity, causing him to lower his own sword ever so slightly. "…to take the path of a pacifist when destiny has chosen you to be a killer is simply foolish. Come at me now, Hisagi Shuuhei. Come and kill me and claim your vengeance."

Hisagi was frozen in his spot; Tousen's words had always had a sort of hypnotic effect on him. Even when the former captain was repeating his typical sermon on justice, Hisagi couldn't help but listen to the loquacious lectures and feel enlightened. Tousen made him a believer in justice, made him a believer in righteousness. His wisdom made the tattooed lieutenant love the blind shinigami's words with all of his heart.

But his betrayal made him hate those words all the more.

Hisagi screamed forward as he slung his right sickle ahead, releasing the black handle as the pair of blades shot out towards Tousen. The black shinigami brought his blade up and blocked, sending the dual-kamas flying up into the air. Hisagi grabbed the right chain and pulled back. But instead of slinging the left out, he spun twice, wrapping the chain around his thin waist. He reclaimed the first scythe and released both the right and left simultaneously while twirling once more. The two blades swung out in a pair of devastating arcs, catching the ex-captain off guard. He dodged the right sickle, bending at the waist and causing the black zanpakuto to miss his torso.

But Hisagi had counted on this evasion; the moment Tousen had ducked, the younger shinigami had stopped his spin and pulled as hard as he could on the right chain while allowing the left to fly freely. The right blade swung back at Tousen, causing him to dive down further to avoid the decapitating swing. The left blade, however, lost some of its momentum and had descended to a lower altitude— the same altitude that Tousen Kaname was currently occupying. When the double scythe flew behind Tousen's back, Hisagi swiftly yanked on the left chain.

Aizen's lieutenant could only be cut by the bizarre attack.

Hisagi stood upon the air as he regained his weapons, watching his former captain bleed and pant for breath. Hisagi was disappointed; Tousen had been able to dodge what should have been a lethal strike. But instead of being disemboweled, the powerful shinigami had moved at the last second. Crimson blood dripped from a long but shallow gash along Tousen's ribs, his pure white uniform stained and ruined at the hands of his ex-disciple.

"I see…" Tousen said between labored breaths. "…that you no longer fear your sword, Hisagi Shuuhei." He brought his own zanpakuto up, flattening his palm against the ring that hung from the cross-guard of his sword. "That's a shame."

"_Bankai."_

The ring began to spin and expand as it copied itself again and again. The ring multiplied into ten larger circles and shot out, bringing a blanket darker than the blackest night to rest over the ninth division. Hisagi's eyes shot open in recognition and fear as he leapt forward in an attempt to outrun the falling cover of opaque senselessness. Realizing that he was not going to make it outside of the black sphere, he turned and faced his opponent as his vision and hearing began to diminish, hearing what might be the final sounds of his life.

"_Suzumushi Tsuishiki: Enma Korogi."_

_

* * *

_

Ulquiorra Schiffer was in a wonderful mood, even if his face didn't show it.

Running through the destroyed streets of Seireitei, Kurosaki Ichigo and Grimmjow Jaggerjaques at his back, and Aizen Sousuke ahead of them, all he could do was think about that woman.

After ushering everyone else out of the room in the Urahara shop, Inoue Orihime had once more cast the orange glow of her _Souten Kisshun_over his body. He looked at her with his expressionless green eye as the time-reversing shield slowly returned the orb that he'd removed only minutes earlier. When left alone, the eyeballs that he'd pluck out and crush would grow back on their own within a few days. But under the spell of the orange-haired human girl, his eye returned to existence in mere seconds.

Ulquiorra found himself extremely intrigued by the process, both mentally and physically— the event reversal provided his intellect with a tough paradox to wrestle with as he tried to understand the possible consequences of such small-scale time travel. And while his mind attempted to grasp the vexing concept, his body shuddered as he felt his once empty eye socket slowly fill with matter that hadn't existed a mere moment earlier. Truly, it was an astounding event to experience.

He'd hardly even noticed that the process was complete and she was still looking at him.

"What is it, woman?" He'd asked dryly.

"I…" she began, her large eyes filling with the tears she seemed to so easily spill. It had always fascinated Ulquiorra how readily this young woman's tears came forth onto her cheeks. While he would normally see such a sign of vulnerability as a disgusting sign of weakness, he somehow found her inclination for sorrow strangely attractive. It made him desire to go to her, to protect her.

He reached up and wiped a tear from her reddened cheek with his pale and slender index finger, bringing the dampened digit down and resting it softly against her lips. He knew what she was about say— she was attempting to apologize to him. He had no desire to hear the words of contrition; she was with him now and that's all he cared about.

As if to further ensure her silence, he slipped his hand from her lips to the back of her neck, sliding his fingertips lightly along her skin as he moved, and pulled her mouth down to his. She sighed lightly and pushed into his kiss, her mouth opening slightly to allow their tongues an opportunity to meet. Something about this silly, clueless human girl made him abandon his coldness and give in to a deep need for affection.

Ulquiorra groaned slightly with the memory of Orihime; he hadn't wanted the moment to end, but the mission to Soul Society was too pressing of a concern to allow time for intimacies. He'd pulled himself away from her and, after giving her promising glance, exited the room.

And now he stood before the door of the first division, where not even a week ago he and Grimmjow had stood trial before the now-deceased Captain-commander. They stopped before the massive door, the large _ichi_looming above them.

"Kurosaki. Grimmjow." Ulquiorra turned to his two allies, a small and content smile playing on his lips as he faced them. "I'm sorry."

The question hadn't even registered on their faces when Ulquiorra dropped the small vial containing a sleeping agent, the glass crashing on the hard wooden floor. The two men's eyes rolled into the backs of their heads as they fell limply to the ground. Ulquiorra had received the potion from Urahara before they'd left. He'd told the exiled shinigami that they might need a non-lethal form of incapacitating opponents in the event that they ran into trouble in Rukongai. And while that had been his true motive at the time, his run to confront Aizen had twisted his goals ever so slightly.

"I'm sorry," he said, speaking softly to the sleeping forms on the floor, hoping that Urahara's formula would wear off as quickly as promised.

"I must do this alone."

Ulquiorra Schiffer, the former _Cuarta_ Espada, pushed the giant doors open to find his previous master sitting calmly at the desk of the Captain-commander. His face, wearing a calm and patronly pleasant smile, was resting lightly in his left hand. His eyes seemed to brighten slightly as Ulquiorra stepped into the room, the large doors swinging shut behind him. The green-eyed Arrancar's face did not express any emotion as he walked silently forward, drawing his blade as he went.

"Ulquiorra," Aizen spoke, his voice as soft as his expression. "How wonderful it is to see you again."

* * *

Kira Izuru was in bad shape.

Sasakibe Chojirou's weightless zanpakuto once more flashed forward in a silver arc, and once more Kira found himself bleeding from the shallow wound the blade left. _Gonryoumaru_was not a powerful sword by any means; the thin blade never penetrated deeply when it made contact with the blonde lieutenant's flesh. Its main strength was its indefatigable speed.

An ability that Sasakibe made full use of in their battle. Kira wished so desperately to slow the aged shinigami down, but every time he'd find an opening the other lieutenant would disappear before his eyes, leaving a fresh wound in his already worn out body.

Kira had tried every move he knew; from odd striking combinations to _kidou,_he'd done almost everything to stop the mustachioed shinigami before him. He had even slashed at the ground in an attempt to open a sinkhole, but that had only created a change in the landscape. His opponent did not falter for a second as he leapt over the newly formed pit in the earth and struck at Kira once more.

Kira threw forth a _shtotsusansen_spell, hoping that it would cause Chojirou to slow down for even an instant— all he needed was the chance to land one blow on any part of the man's body. Then hopefully _Wabisuke_would be able to slow him down enough to land a few more. Kira didn't know how much longer he would last in this fight.

The _kidou_spell complete, Kira ejected the trio of yellow triangles forward and quickly rushed after them. If he was to make contact with his opponent, he would have to be quick. But Sasakibe was quicker still. In a quick bit of _shunpo,_he side-stepped the spell and thrust the tip of his rapier through Kira's shoulder, causing the young lieutenant to cry out in pain as he dropped his zanpakuto to the ground. He fell backwards against a nearby wall, the long blade pinning him against the hard clay building. He tried reaching out for his own sword, but it was beyond his reach. He looked up helplessly as Sasakibe Chojirou stepped forward and glared down into his eyes.

"You must understand, Lieutenant Kira," he spoke, his words dry and cold. "I am not an evil man. I was simply exhausted by Soul Society's ever-changing ideals and moral leadership. How are we expected to follow a man who is a ruthless killer one moment, and a—"

A feral roar shook the air as a large shadow descended upon the two shinigami. Sasakibe looked up in shock, his golden eyes widening as he pulled the blade out of Kira's flesh and brought it up to block the enormous blade of Komamura Sajin.

"_Chojirou!"_the enraged canine yelled as his sword came down on the lieutenants, the extreme strength behind the strike causing a small crater to form beneath the two fighters. "How dare you betray your captain! _How dare you betray your own savior!"_Komamura bellowed downward at the man below him, his power so immense that it immobilized the otherwise swift-footed Sasakibe.

"I could no longer follow… that crazed old man, Sajin…" Chojirou spoke up through arduous breaths, his eyes glaring into the massive captain's. "Just because… he was your god… does not make him mine!"

"_Foolish reprobate!"_Komamura roared, pushing down harder and further paralyzing his opponent. "_Bankai!"_

Sasakibe Chojirou's eyes widened in fear as Komamura's _Kokujou Tenken Myo'ou_materialized behind the captain. Kira, who had dragged himself to a safer distance, stared up in awe at the colossal, black-armored giant above them. The gargantuan blade in the monster's hand rose up high and came crashing down, creating an immense explosion then sent dirt and debris flying in every direction. Kira began coughing as his eyes and nose filled with the dust of the _bankai's_destruction.

"Are you alright, Lieutenant Kira?"

Kira opened his eyes hesitantly and looked up at the towering form of Captain Komamura. He quickly scrambled to his feet and brushed himself off in hopes that he didn't look any more helpless than he already felt.

"Y-yes, Captain Komamura," he managed to mutter as he stood, barely coming up to the canine-like captain's ribs. "Thank you for your assistance."

"No," the captain said flatly as he gazed upon the remains of Sasakibe Chojirou. "The pleasure was all mine."

* * *

_**author's note**_

_HOLY SHIT KIDS. MAJOR shout-out to__**black storm van pendragon!**__she created a__**killer piece of fanart**__for this story. all i'm gonna say is:__**bite marks**__. anyhoo, go check it out:__**jasotheartisan .deviantart .com**__(sans the spaces). it's the only favorite i've got, so it shouldn't be hard to miss. go over there and let her know what you think. lord knows i liked it._

_anyhoo. everyone's been givin me grief lately about killin everybody off, so i left you guys with a good guy win. it felt good too, lettin soul society get a point. that and komamura makes me laugh A LOT. TOUUUUUSSEEEENNNN! lol_

_review my story plz. i'm not even joking anymore. review or i'll find you in your sleep._

_jta~!_

_**six shooter - queens of the stone age**_


	23. Soldier

_**Soldier**_

Yumichika leapt out from the rubble and debris, his face twisted into an aggravated grimace as he flew backwards into the night sky. He leveled himself in the air as he glared down at his homicidal friend, the bald shinigami's eyes glazed over with the blue of Aizen Sousuke's hypnosis. Ikkaku jumped up into the air with a crazed battle cry, swinging the pair of massive blades he held in his murderous fists.

Yumichika flash-stepped away, hoping to buy himself enough time to plan a new attack strategy against his fellow eleventh division member. Ikkaku had already woken up the awesome brute strength that his _Ryuumon Hoozukimaru _possessed, the red dragon's crest glowing and smoking atop the third-seat's massive _bankai. _While he could fight on-par with Ikkaku on any given day, Yumichika had very little experience sparring with his friend's fully powered zanpakuto. He knew that back when Ikkaku had first attained his _bankai,_the overwhelming amount of power would exhaust his spiritual power at an alarming rate and force him to retire from battle earlier than he'd like to. But Yumichika had been evading enormous and devastating swings for a full thirty minutes now, the massive weapons carving up buildings and landscape alike, and Ikkaku was showing no sign of slowing his pace.

Yumichika could only assume this was Aizen's doing.

During their skirmish, Ikkaku had shown abilities far superior to the ones he'd previously possessed; his _shunpo _was far swifter than it had ever been. It had become more accurate as well, always placing him within attack range of the usually quicker Yumichika. His movements had become more precise also, enabling him to block Yumichika's rapid slashes while countering within moments.

Fortunately, Yumichika was still much faster and far more agile than his opponent. Had his evasive skills been less than what they were, he'd be a dead man by now; even one well-placed strike from _Ryuumon Hoozukimaru _would more than likely kill him.

Yumichika leapt back, once more avoiding the large swing of Ikkaku's massive zanpakuto. He needed to halt the shinigami's seemingly inexorable momentum for a few minutes; unlike Ikkaku, Yumichika was not under a super-human hypnosis spell and could feel the first stages of fatigue settling in. Ikkaku jabbed forward once more, the large and flat monk's spade in his right hand flying out in an attempt to separate Yumichika's legs from the rest of his body. The smaller shinigami jumped up and nimbly landed on the outstretched weapon. Ikkaku's blue coated eyes looked up in surprise at the thin man standing upon his blade. With those lifeless eyes fixed upon his enemy, his upper lip curled and he growled low. Yumichika reached out and extended his index finger, pointing it towards Ikkaku's waist.

"_Bakudo _61_:_ _Rikujyou Kourou!" _Yumichika called out the spell as a sextuplet of yellow light rods materialized and pinned his opponent in place. Ikkaku roared with a bestial fury as Yumichika disappeared from atop the blade in a flash of _shunpo._

_That ought to slow him down for a little while,_Yumichika thought as he sought out a suitable resting place. He knew the containment wouldn't last for long— the _Rikujyou Kourou _that imprisoned Ikkaku was the fourth one he'd cast, and would likely be the fourth one to be escaped from. Yumichika slowed and darted back down to the earth to hide behind a shattered building in an attempt to catch his quickly fading breath. He stopped on the ground and bent over at the waist, his mouth dragging in much needed oxygen.

_What the fuck? _Yumichika's mind was racing as he began regaining his composure. _No matter what I do, he just keeps coming at me. _He'd sent wave after wave of _kidou_spells at Ikkaku in an attempt to harm the spellbound shinigami in a non-lethal manner, but each fireball or lightning bolt he shot forth would be harmlessly batted aside by the raw power his friend controlled. He'd even managed to get in a few good sword strikes, his four blades slicing open wound after bloody wound, but Ikkaku had rampaged on as if nothing had happened.

He could feel Ikkaku's _reiatsu _flare as his friend broke out of the binding spell that had held him for these few minutes. Yumichika sighed as he leapt into the air, knowing full well that Ikkaku would soon find him again and continue the battle.

He knew that he could end the fight, but that would require him using his _shikai's_ true form, _Ruriiro Kujaku. _But Yumichika was still unsure if he could use the life-sapping technique without killing his best friend. _If it comes down to it…_ he thought solemnly as he looked down at his zanpakuto, the spirit within screaming to be truly awakened, to be allowed a quick victory.

Madarame Ikkaku suddenly materialized before him, his maniacal grin now parted as he sucked in air with exhaustion. Yumichika saw this as a sign of hope, that his opponent was losing strength, that perhaps he would soon lose his _bankai._

As if on cue, Ikkaku's sword began to glow a deep crimson red as it diminished greatly in size. The hexed shinigami uttered a quick and confused grunt as he cocked an equally perplexed eyebrow as his zanpakuto returned to a spear. But the baffled expression faded with a quick shrug as he sprung forward at Yumichika, _Hoozukimaru _stabbing forward with every intent to kill.

Despite being on the sudden retreat, Yumichika smiled slightly as he blocked the swift strikes. Ikkaku reared back and swung the long staff at Yumichika's head, causing the effeminate shinigami to bring his curved blade up in defense. When the wooden staff connected with the sickle, it suddenly split into three pieces connected by chain. Upon the splitting, one of the chains was located in the exact spot where Yumichika's scythe was, causing the sickle-like zanpakuto to become entangled in the black shackles. Ikkaku yanked forward on the staff, causing Yumichika to drop his weapon to the ground below and the bladed end of _Hoozukimaru_to swing quickly at his opponent's face.

Ayasegawa Yumichika reached one hand up and deftly grabbed the wooden pole below the blade. He'd countered that move dozens of time in the past while sparring with his old friend; it would seem that Aizen's spell didn't have the memory that Ikkaku did. The hypnotized Ikkaku shot out an angered look before Yumichika pulled firmly on his end of the spear, sending the wielder flying forward. Yumichika thrust his foot forward and into the gut of his opponent; blood flew from the bald shinigami's mouth and his eyes rolled back into his skull.

Yumichika held tight on the spear as its owner fell to the ground, landing with an earth-shaking slam. He too lowered himself to the ground, his zanpakuto sealing itself into a normal katana and he quietly recited the incantation for the _bakudo_ spell _shtotsusansen. _As his feet hit the ground he cast the spell forward to pin the unconscious man to the ground. The trio of triangles flew outward and hit the ground harmlessly, their intended target disappearing in a flash of _shunpo._

Yumichika was so surprised at the sudden movement that when his enemy reappeared behind him, all he could do was spin around and stab out with his zanpakuto, the sword piercing its way through the shoulder of his best friend. Ikkaku's face twisted in surprise at the sudden pain in his left side as the blue coloring over his eyes faded away, revealing the small black irises Yumichika knew so well.

"Y-Yumi…?" Ikkaku stuttered out in astonishment as he looked from his friend's surprised face to his friend's sword stabbed into his flesh. "What in the _hell… is going_…" Ikkaku's eyes once more rolled back as his knees buckled and he slid backwards.

Yumichika quickly retracted the blade from Ikkaku and rushed forward, placing two fingers on his companion's neck. His pulse was stable— hell, it was far calmer than it should have been, considering the grueling battle he'd just participated in. It seemed that Aizen's spell had some benefit for his sleeping friend.

Yumichika looked up worriedly as he wondered just how Aizen Sousuke was being distracted.

* * *

"Why the fuck are you askin' _me?_" Grimmjow yelled at Ichigo as he paced back and forth before the massive doors of the first division.

"So what? I'm supposed to believe that Ulquiorra just hatched up that little scheme on his own so that he could fight Aizen on his own?" Ichigo retorted, his brow becoming even more furrowed than it normally was.

"Yeah, that's exactly what happened, you dipshit!" Grimmjow hollered before sitting down with his back against the far wall. He took a deep breath and looked the orange-haired shinigami in the eye. "Is it so insane to think that Ulquiorra could devise a plan like this? Or that he would want to kill him alone? Hell, if I were him I'd want to kill Aizen myself too after all the bullshit he'd put me through."

"It just doesn't make any sense," Ichigo said as he sat across from Grimmjow. "Can he even defeat Aizen on his own? I mean, I've fought Aizen before and—"

"You've _also_ fought Ulquiorra before," Grimmjow interrupted. "Do you think he has a chance?"

"I… I don't know."

They'd both woken up a few moments earlier, each one of them rubbing their heads in confusion as they tried to establish just what had happened to them. And they'd both recalled with a sudden clarity that Ulquiorra had pulled his little stunt. After seeing that the door had been locked, they'd begun their brief shouting match.

"What the hell do you mean you don't –" Grimmjow was cut off as an explosion came from behind the door, causing both men to leap to their feet and draw their zanpakuto. Ichigo's brown eyes flicked over to Grimmjow's blue ones. After a few moments of silence another explosion rocked the building followed by more silence.

"What the hell was that?" Ichigo asked under his breath, his body tensing up as he gripped _Zangetsu _tightly with both hands.

"How the fuck am I supposed to know?" Grimmjow hissed in response, his blue eyes burning at the shinigami next to him.

"I don't know. Maybe you'd recognize the sound of a _cero _or something!" Ichigo responded, his voice rising in anger.

"Are you fucking kidding me? You are seriously re_tar_ded, Kurosaki!"

Before Ichigo could resume the verbal sparring match, the doors before them unlocked with a loud click. He and Grimmjow exchanged quick glances before slowly striding forward and pushing the large doors open and stepping into the demolished room.

* * *

Soi Fon staggered back, her blood leaving a red pool on the ground as she bent forward. Szayel-Aporro threw his head back and cackled at the sight; he was enjoying the sight of the captain's despair.

"Allow me to explain what just happened, Captain Soi Fon. While you assumed I was running in fear, I was simply leading you to this room. I've reconstructed it to function like my own laboratory in_Las Noches;_after a brief examination of your zanpakuto's abilities, I was able to devise a force-field that will negate the abilities of your _bankai. _And as for your _shikai_not killing me in the two hits as advertised," his already wide smile stretched even further as he continued his speech, "I was simply able to create an extremely effective anti-venom.

"And as an added bonus," he continued, his voice growing louder in his pride, "you should know that this room will also counteract your _shunkou._" He began laughing once more, unable to contain the joy he felt in his victory. "Curse it, Captain Soi Fon! Curse the fact that my genius sought you out. Curse it that you cannot use your special abilities against me!"

"Then I guess," Soi Fon said as she lifted her head, her eyes glaring at Szayel-Aporro in amusement. "I'll have to kill you with only my sword."

"What did you say to me?"

With a smirk, Soi Fon vanished and reappeared behind the pink-haired Espada, _Suzumebachi's_sharp tip poised at the base of his neck. "I'm the commander of the Secret Mobile Operations," she said quietly, a harsh whisper jabbing into his ear. "I am more than capable of killing _you_ with far less than my zanpakuto."

"Oh?"

Szayel-Aporro vanished from her grasp, quickly reappearing across the room from her. He held his sword up, the long blade's tip pointing towards the ground as he smirked at the shinigami captain before him.

"I have the distinct feeling that you are about to change your mind, Captain." His smirk widened until his white teeth had separated, his jaw widening further as he tilted his head back and lifted the sword above his eagerly awaiting mouth.

"Sip, _Fornicarás."_

He violently plunged the sword into his gaping mouth, blood spurting upwards from his now tattered throat. As the spherical cross-guard of his zanpakuto clashed harshly against the enamel of his teeth, his body swelled like a lantern above a flame. Soi Fon stepped back in horror as the man before her expanded and, after a suspenseful moment in which she thought he would surely burst, he deflated into a more slender form.

"Behold the vision of your death, shinigami." His head was still tilted back as he spoke to her, his neck as stiff as it had been when he'd encased his sword with his own esophagus. He crossed his arms over himself slowly as he tilted himself forward, bending ever so slightly at the waist. With a short grunt, a fountain a dark blood erupted from the center of his back, the crimson liquid spraying upwards until it hit the ceiling and came plummeting back towards the ground.

With a small grimace of disgust, Soi Fon leapt back to avoid the first red splash of the downpour. Another quick leap allowed her to evade even more waves of blood, but the torrents of maroon juice were steadily increasing their downward fall. Soi Fon burst into _shunpo,_deftly vanishing into thin air and reappearing in various spots around the room to avoid the blood. But whenever she would avoid one round of the gore, Szayel-Aporro was swift to replenish the geyser. The shinigami captain was soon painted into a corner as the blood _Fornicarás_rained upon her.

To her astonishment, the droplets of blood that landed on her began to painlessly bubble and roil upon her body. As the growths expanded, they began taking on shape and color. They soon shot themselves out from her flesh and clothing as their metamorphosis continued on the floor of the chamber. Soi Fon looked on in revulsion as the roiling masses changed; the red blood turning into black cloth the way a crimson sky turns dark with sunset, the faceless globs quickly donning the façade of the woman they had only so recently touched.

Soi Fon stood with her back against a wall as she stared at four copies of herself.

"Normally I would enjoy this and send these little _doppelgängers _at you one by one," Szayel-Aporro Granz spoke up, breaking her fixation upon the vacant-eyed clones. "Unfortunately, you are _far_ too dangerous to be left alive for very long."

As his ever prideful mouth closed, the four duplicates leapt forward simultaneously, each one drawing a sword from the small of their backs. Soi Fon vanished in a flash-step, quickly evading the onslaught of look-alikes. She quickly reappeared behind the group, two of the quartet falling to the ground as blood sprayed from their flesh. The two remaining imitators themselves disappeared, one of them quickly breaking out of _shunpo_ to attack Soi Fon.

She blocked the strike with her own sword and leapt into the air, thrusting her foot behind her as the second clone reappeared. Soi Fon's well-timed kick landed in the duplicate's ribcage and sent it flying backwards and into the far wall, its head splitting open with a sickening crack. Using the momentum from the forceful contact, Soi flipped herself into the air and over the head of the final copy, the steel of her blade creating sparks as it curved along the width of her opponent's and she balanced herself atop her clone's blocking sword. As gravity pulled her back down to the floor, Soi Fon thrust out an open palm, caught the duplicate's face in her hand, and drove its head into the ground.

The blank white eyes of her imitator didn't even widen as Soi Fon stabbed her sword between them through her spread fingers.

"Impressive, Captain Soi Fon," Szayel-Aporro said all too gleefully. "Most impressive. But that was only the beginning of my abili—"

His words stopped in his mouth as two of his thin wings were suddenly removed and his enemy stood behind him with blood dripping from his sword. His tentacle-like wings had been slowly slinking up behind her while he'd been speaking. Soi Fon had no idea what they would have done had she not noticed, but she could care less; she was tired of the Arrancar's tricks.

"Sorry to cut you off, Espada." Her voice was as deadly as her blade as she glared into his shocked eyes, his face turning to look at her over his shoulder. "But your little game has worn thin with me."

He spun quickly, one of his two remaining wings shooting out at her in an attempt at capture, but she was too quick for him. She swung upwards, the arc of her sword removing the third stringy extension before she thrust her zanpakuto forward and into his chest. He gasped out in surprise and pain as the sword was pushed deeper into his body, through his flesh and bones until it erupted blood as it protruded from between his shoulder blades. Soi Fon glared up into his vibrant eyes with malice before she viciously tore the blade out from his body and spun it around to remove his nauseatingly pink head. She watched dispassionately as his limp form fell to the ground.

She flicked her sword swiftly, causing a string of blood to splatter forward from the sharp edge and onto the still body of Szayel-Aporro Granz. She reached behind her and slid _Suzumebachi _into the blue scabbard that hung horizontally across her lower back. Her sword securely locked into place, Soi Fon stepped over the dead body of the former _Octa_ Espada and walked towards the exit of the twelfth division.

She never even saw the final tentacle slither up behind her until it was too late.

Soi Fon was taken by complete surprise as the final wing that belonged to the decapitated Arrancar shot out and wrapped itself around her torso, pinning her arms to her sides. As the serpentine appendage began lifting her into the air, she looked behind her to ensure that she wasn't losing her mind, that Szayel-Aporro was truly dead.

As his voice rang out while she was looking at the still lips of his severed head, she began to struggle against what could only an absurd illusion.

"Don't bother fighting it, Captain," the disembodied voice spoke as the tentacle tightened itself around her legs, preventing her from kicking. "You must realize that I have complete control over you. You _will_ become the womb for my resurrection. Resistance is, as cliché as the phrase is to say, futile."

She felt the tentacle slowly work its way around her waist until it came to the slit in the side of her hakama; she gasped in fear and disgust as it slid through the hole in her clothing. She could feel as it— as _he_began to move across her thigh and down her pelvis. She fought as hard as she could, her bound arms squirming to reach for the sword that was just out of reach. Her fingertips could just barely touch the screaming and outraged hilt of _Suzumebachi._She squeezed her eyes together and yelled in anger and defiance as he slid her underwear aside and began to enter her.

The movement in her pants suddenly fell away as she dropped to the floor.

"Oh my, my, my," a familiar voice tittered from above her. "I would think that a true genius would alter his strategies every now and again. Wouldn't you agree, Captain Soi Fon?"

She looked up to see the un-decorated face of Captain Kurotsuchi Mayuri smiling eerily down at her, _Ashisogi Jizo's_ golden face looking on blankly from his hand. She looked over to see Nemu placing the long and paralyzed tentacle into a glass container. It had been severed from the body, but she could see a small set of teeth along the side of the appendage chattering in fear. Soi Fon stood up swiftly and faced her fellow captain, a small look of thanks crossing her face.

He tittered once more before turning to watch his lieutenant carry away his new specimen.

* * *

_**author's note**_

_**del march**__, the first part of this chapter goes out to you. i know you were mad about the ikkaku/yumi cliffhanger, so there you go. happy endings all around! the second half was for me. that's right, i wrote part of this chapter for me and me alone; i love soi fon and wanted to see her kick some doppelganger booty. felt like she was getting the short end of the stick for the past couple of chapters. but mayuri came to save her... well, mayuri is awesome, too. i really wanted him to come and finish what he'd started. szayel-aporro's a doofus._

_grimmjow and ichigo- they're coming up, i swear. ulquiorra's up for another scene, too._

_if you guys haven't checked out the badass fanart that__**blackstorm van pendragon**__did of grimmjow and soi fon, go check it out. she's a splendid artist and i feel honored that she took the time to draw something for me. [jasotheartisan. deviantart. com] (take out the spaces; it's my only fav.) drop her a line and tell her how cool she is. (and how cool it would be to make more. lol! just kidding, bsvp.)_

_new chapter by the weekend, kiddies. reviews always help me write em faster!_

_keepin it grown and sexy,_

_jta~!_

_**soldier - eminem**_


	24. Follow the Light

_**Follow the Light**_

Ulquiorra Schiffer leapt forward once more, his sword swinging out aggressively. Aizen caught the blade with his bare hand and held on to it, despite the blood that began to trickle out of his closed fist.

Ulquiorra was weakened beyond the point of using his _resurrección;_ Aizen had long since caused the horned figure to lose the ability to maintain his released form. Ulquiorra was now fighting on his last leg, the desire for vengeance acting as the sole fuel that kept him slashing and cutting and stabbing.

Ulquiorra hated Aizen more than anything else in existence. The green-eyed Arrancar maintained the façade of loyalty because of his sense of honor; he'd been given a high ranking position in Aizen's army and he felt it was his responsibility to conform to every rule of that man's kingdom. Even if it meant pretending to revere a man he truly despised. Sycophancy had never been Ulquiorra's style until he'd fallen under the rule Aizen Sousuke.

And when he'd been given the chance, he'd fought the tyrant king with everything he'd had. And it looked as though he would lose.

"Ulquiorra," Aizen said, his voice both impassive and commanding as it resonated through the crumbling office of the late Captain-commander Yamamoto. His grip on Ulquiorra's zanpakuto tightened as he continued, more of his blood running down the silver steel. "I'm disappointed in the actions you took today."

"You'd always seen the seed of dissention within me, Aizen," he responded. "I don't see why you would be surprised."

Aizen chuckled. "I never said I was surprised, _Quarto _Espada…" He brought _Kyouka Suigetsu _down across Ulquiorra's chest, adding another red line to the grid of bloody gashes that adorned the Arrancar's pale flesh. His _hierro, _normally as hard as steel, was cut like paper under Aizen's zanpakuto. "…I said that I was _disappointed."_

Ulquiorra staggered back, panting only slightly despite his weakened state. He'd managed to hold his own against Aizen for a while, the extreme power of his released state allowing him to defend and attack rather successfully. In fact, Aizen Sousuke was more haggard-looking than Ulquiorra had ever previously seen him; the normally flawless white clothing torn and stained with blood, his usually perfect hair disheveled as it hung down into his face.

"I'd always known that you would betray me, Ulquiorra," he said, his gentle smile remaining despite his foreignly unkempt appearance. "That's why I heaped responsibility upon you. You could always be trusted as long as I kept you occupied with menial tasks."

"My sense of duty does not overwhelm my sense of pride, Aizen."

"Of course it doesn't. If it did, you would have been elated to join my inevitable conquest of Soul Society. Instead," Aizen's smile lessened as his brow furrowed slightly. "You followed the shinigami like the lap-dog you are."

Ulquiorra's face remained the expressionless mask he'd always maintained, even though the man's insult rang true. Ulquiorra glanced down at his left hand before he raised it up to his blade and ran his thin index finger along the sharp edge. A thin line of blood began to leak out from the small wound as he lifted his arm up and pointed his outstretched finger at his former master. The blood trickled slowly from his fingertip, small crimson droplets releasing themselves from his veins and splashing upon the wooden floor.

Despite his injuries, Ulquiorra's reiatsu began to rise as one final drop of blood fell from his flesh. The sphere of blood froze in its drop before it began to swirl around in the air, the red droplet becoming a hoop as more and more of the Espada's energy was forced upon it. Soon the ring of energy turned a juniper color as it lost its circular purity, jagged bars of energy jutting out from the deadly ball of power.

"_Gran Rey Cero."_

The massive blast shot forth at Aizen, completely obliterating the back wall of the room as the green _cero _of the Espada tore through the night air of Soul Society. Ulquiorra stood still, his shirt ripped open from Aizen's previous attacks, his tattooed chest pumping as he attempted to regain his breath. As the wind began to blow through the opened wall and the dust from the explosion cleared, he saw the still silhouette of Aizen Sousuke.

The former captain stood in front of the massive hole that the Ulquiorra's attack had created. His right hand was blistered and bleeding from the _cero _blast, his eyes widening in anger as he glanced at his wounded appendage. His normally impassive gaze was cast upon the Espada before him.

"_Gran Rey Cero," _he said as he slowly flexed his injured hand, his thin fingers curling into a fist. "I see."

Aizen vanished, causing Ulquiorra's eyes to widen in shock as the shinigami appeared before him within an instant. Ulquiorra couldn't even block as Aizen lashed out with his sword, sending the Arrancar flying through the nearby wall with a loud crash and out into the night air of Seireitei, blood falling from his body as everything went dark.

------------------------

"Shoot to kill, _Shinsou._"

The _wakizashi_ stretched dramatically, the blade that was but two feet long a moment ago lengthening itself to stab at Hitsugaya from across the courtyard. The spear-like zanpakuto shot forth at lightning-quick speed, the young captain barely managing to dodge the attack. Hitsugaya leapt to the right and rolled behind the cover of some debris as the long blade retracted back towards its spiraled hilt.

Ichimaru Gin's smile only broadened as Soul Society's other great prodigy hid like the child he was.

Gin was happy; everything had come together perfectly. He knew that the defense team in the real world would make its way back to Seireitei once communications with Soul Society had been lost. Ulquiorra's wonderful ability to allow the shinigami the pleasure of seeing the destruction first hand was a splendid little bonus that Aizen had more than taken advantage of. The three traitorous captains had all foreseen the expediency in which the team would return and they'd made the best of it; Aizen had even released his _bankai _for the first time in years— to Gin, this was obviously the end of the road for the Gotei 13

But Ichimaru was the most pleased about his young opponent's dolorous predictability. Of _course_ Toshirou would come and seek out his little girlfriend before acting like a responsible captain and checking on his division. It was simply the way his childish mind worked.

So Gin was extremely happy he and Aizen had taken the time to pay the young lieutenant a little visit after they'd taken over the majority of Seireitei. With the whole of the fourth division under hypnosis, and the eleventh presumably tearing itself to shreds, the two ex-captains strolled casually into the young woman's room.

Hinamori had reacted exactly as Gin had predicted she would— she balled her fists into her black clothing and let the tears well in her eyes as she softly whimpered her former captain's name. It almost made him sad to see how much of psychological stranglehold Aizen still maintained on this poor girl; even after he'd practically disemboweled her and begun a war against the whole of Soul Society, she could cry tears of joy upon his return. Hell, in her elation she hadn't even seemed fearful of him. It was truly a dismal thing to do to someone.

But if she hadn't possessed such an adoration for Aizen, well, then Ichimaru's little plan would have gone terribly awry.

And even with her worship of the former captain she'd still managed to surprise him— Ichimaru had been truly shocked when she'd lowered her sword against the boy-captain. He was completely and absolutely prepared to watch the young duo rip each other apart while he sat back and enjoyed the show. But then again, he was certainly good at making lemonade out of a lemon.

After all, Ichimaru Gin _did _hate unhappy endings.

He'd long despised Hitsugaya Toshirou. Naturally, Gin had been jealous of the _other _white-haired prodigy prancing about Seireitei; up until the baby genius came along, every record-breaking achievement was held by him. But what had started out as a petty jealousy had since grown into a silent and seething hatred. The brat had squandered his enormous potential over the years in his quest for approval. He needed to be liked by everyone he deemed important, but envied by everyone he saw as less than himself. And that was a category that Ichimaru felt the boy had placed him into. While Bin had only become stronger after his rise to captaincy, Hitsugaya fluttered miserably around the acceptance level while more and more honorifics were heaped upon him.

And the little punk ruined his plans for Rangiku.

Ichimaru had devoted himself to following Aizen a mere three days before he'd found Matsumoto lying on the streets of Rukongai. His young head filled with grandiose plans, he'd approached the hungry blonde girl with a food and a warm smile. He'd designed his entire future around slowly brainwashing the young woman so that when he and Aizen and Tousen finally defected from Soul Society, she would have no qualms about coming with him. But he'd wanted to keep it from her, to see if he could effectively train her to believe that he was infallible.

Only then she'd found the little boy that day in the store and he'd slowly become less important. The moment the boy had become a lieutenant, Gin knew that she was no longer going to follow him to the ends of the earth. _Something _about the way she looked at the young man told him to surrender his aspirations and move on to perfecting Aizen's plans. And his persimmon garden.

He'd effectively ignored Matsumoto for three decades until that night. The night he'd almost killed her captain, the night she'd blocked his blade and stood her ground against him. He'd still held on to a sliver of hope that when the time came, the emotions he'd embedded in her long ago would prevail and she would ultimately side with him. But despite the wicked grin he'd displayed that night, when she'd leapt out in front of the unconscious Hinamori and ended the battle between Hitsugaya and himself, he'd been saddened by the concretion of his loss.

So when Hinamori Momo lowered her sword against Hitsugaya Toshirou, Gin decided to finish the job he'd started on that warm summer night.

"Oh my," he called out into the empty air. "The captain of the tenth division is usually far braver than this. I wonder what he could be…" Hitsugaya appeared behind him in a flash of _shunpo, _causing Gin to whirl around and block. His smile widened as he looked down into the young man's rage filled eyes.

"…Plannin' to do?"

Gin thrust his blade forward, causing Toshirou to leap backwards into the sky. The young captain lifted his zanpakuto high into the air, tightly gripping the long handle with both fists.

"Sit upon the frozen heavens, _Hyourinmaru!"_

Hitsugaya swung his blade down towards Ichimaru on the ground, the zanpakuto releasing a massive, dragon-shaped stream of water and ice. Ichimaru simply smiled as the frigid apparition slithered through the air towards him. He stepped back and lifted his left elbow so that it was level with his face. The ice-dragon was only a few feet away, its gaping maw threatening to swallow the white-clad shinigami when he lurched forward and thrust the short blade forward.

_Shinsou _shot forth into the mouth of the massive _Hyourinmaru, _the powerful extension splitting the giant serpent in half as it flew upwards toward the dragon's wielder. Hitsugaya quickly blocked the strike, the tip of Ichimaru's blade digging into his own as he held his zanpakuto horizontally despite the immense pressure it placed on his arms.

Hitsugaya flicked his wrist, causing the chain that was attached to the base of his sword to swing upwards and wrap around _Shinsou's _blade. Ice immediately began spreading down the length of the zanpakuto. Gin chuckled slightly as he saw the ice climb its way over the steel of his sword. He quickly retracted the deadly spear, the ice splintering and falling off as the blade began to inexplicably shrink.

With the _wakizashi _returned to its normal length, Hitsugaya shot forth in a blast of _shunpo, _greatly lessening the distance between the two swordsmen. When he reappeared, he was less than fifteen feet from Ichimaru, his hand already swinging forward as the blade released another wave of frigid power. Gin hardly moved as the mighty dragon materialized and opened its gigantic mouth. _Hyourinmaru _smashed into the spot where the former captain stood, the entirety of its frozen body spreading out over the grassy courtyards of the fourth division.

Hitsugaya had only a moment to catch his breath before Gin materialized out of a _shunpo _above him. The tenth division captain snapped his head up in shock as the ever-smiling face looked down on him, the _wakizashi _in his hands once more pointed at him.

Gin's rarely seen ruby-colored eyes opened and glared at the young boy as S_hinsou _launched forward and into his left shoulder.

Hitsugaya was sent plummeting towards the grass as _Shinsou _pinned his flesh to the earth. Ichimaru was almost twenty feet above him, but still his zanpakuto kept an insurmountable amount of force on him. Hitsugaya groaned in pain as he once more threw his sword forward, releasing the ice-laden spirit of _Hyourinmaru. _The dragon travelled ferociously up Gin's sword, the former captain slightly taken aback at the amount of power that held his blade in place. He tried to remove his zanpakuto from the rising ice flow, but _Shinsou _was held fast in the mouth of the mighty dragon.

_Hyourinmaru _rammed into Ichimaru, throwing the traitorous shinigami into the air, the ice spreading over his lean body. After the wave of icy water had exploded upon him, it had released his sword and allowed him to draw it back from the flesh of the young captain below him. Ichimaru, slashed _Shinsou _forward, removing the ice and water that had accumulated on his clothing. He lowered himself to the ground, panting slightly as he faced Hitsugaya.

"Goodness, Captain Hitsugaya," he said in his ever-condescending tone. "An' here I thought we were just plain' around."

"Ichimaru Gin," Hitsugaya replied, his eyes filled with rage as his reiatsu began rocketing skyward. "I promised you long ago that if you caused Hinamori to shed even one drop of blood I would kill you." His stepped back slowly and deliberately, leveling his sword with his torso. "Tonight is the night I finally make good on that promise!

"_Bankai!"_

"Oh my," Gin commented casually as his opponent roared out the command.

Hitsugaya stood before Gin with his fully powered zanpakuto, the frozen wings broader than he'd remembered, the trio of ice petals no longer hovering above his head. Ichimaru smiled slightly as he sensed the young captain's increased reiatsu. _Maybe he did improve, _he thought as the young man sprung forward, _Diguren Hyourinmaru_ ready to pierce him through.

_At least a little bit._

Gin brought up his short blade to block the powerfully frigid strike of Hitsugaya's bankai, blue sparks flashing as the pair of blades me with one another. Toshirou continued his onslaught, driving Ichimaru back with every strike. Gin frowned slightly; ice was beginning to form on _Shinsou's _blade.

"_Hadou 54_: _Soukatsui."_

A pair of red flames exploded into Hitsugaya's gut, throwing him backwards into one of the rocks that surrounded the training field. Gin stood still for a moment, his hand still outstretched from the _kidou _spell. He wasn't happy. The time he'd spent in _Hueco Mundo _had been used for planning and formulating strategies. He'd hardly trained at all. Aizen was preoccupied with… _whatever_ it was he did when he wasn't scheming up a new plan; Tousen spent most of his time meditating with that odd little Arrancar, Wonderweiss; and he'd alienated all of the Espada. Well, Luppi had trained with him a few times, but he was a narcissistic prick anyway.

Hitsugaya, on the other hand, had improved drastically over the past few months. Where Gin would have been able to completely destroy the young captain the first time they'd fought, he was currently having troubles. Toshirou's _shunpo _had improved dramatically, as well as his control over his zanpakuto.

What the hell had happened? Did his skill increase exponentially after every Arrancar he'd fought? Gin's mind ran through a checklist of data he'd skimmed over in _Las Noches— _Hitsugaya had defeated Shawlong Qufang during Grimmjow's failed extermination mission; he'd barely immobilized Luppi a month after that; he'd lost horribly to Halibel; and most recently, he was able to slay the _fracción _Ardea Egretta with little effort.

Gin's brow furrowed slightly as he tried to see the reason for Hitsugaya's sudden burst in strength.

The white-haired traitor smiled widely as he shrugged it off, throwing his right arm out as _Shinsou _flew forward. Hitsugaya stepped to the right and slashed his blade down as Gin's flew by him. He ran forward, his own blade pinning Gin's down as he ran down the lengthened _wakizashi. _Once more Gin's ruby eyes shot open as Hitsugaya Toshirou leapt forward and slashed out at him, opening a large gash across his defenseless chest.

Gin staggered backwards, disbelief crossing his features as he looked down at the blood draining from his torso. _How in the hell did he get me? _Gin looked up, his smile melting slightly as he looked at the columns of ice that began surrounding the two of them. The eyes of his opponent were hardened upon him, the young captain pointing his blade forward at Gin, the tip reflecting blue as the moon shined down upon it through the towers of ice. Ichimaru's frown deepened as Hitsugaya spoke the name of the attack, the heat of his breath swirling around his face in wispy strands.

"_Sennen Hyourou!"_

Gin threw up his arms as the circle of frozen minarets closed upon him, locking him inside of an enormous ball of ice. He was stuck inside the cage, his eyes frozen open; he could see his opponent relax through the barricade of frost. He grew angry as he realized that Hitsugaya had assumed victory, the young captain beginning to turn and walk away.

_I'm not losing to him, _he screamed inside of his own head. _Not now. Not after all I've sacrificed. Not after leaving Soul Society._

_Not after he took Rangiku away from me._

Ichimaru Gin roared forward, breaking himself out of the ice prison. Hitsugaya spun around, his face flexing in anger as shards of blue ice exploded past him. Ichimaru stepped back as he flipped _Shinsou _upside down in his hand, the blade now pointing towards the ground, the s-shaped hilt touching the base of his palm. His reiatsu began to flare as his ubiquitous smile twisted into a hateful scowl. Hitsugaya stepped back, his eyes widening in surprise at the amount of spiritual pressure that was being exuded from the man before him. Gin glared at Hitsugaya, all of his jealousy and rage focused on the _other _white-haired prodigy as he gripped the handle of his sword painfully tight.

"_Bankai!"_

Gin's reiatsu spiked one more time, knocking Toshirou back before it was suddenly quelled. Hitsugaya suddenly realized that he'd closed his eyes at the extreme force of Gin's power, and he slowly reopened them.

His mouth dropped open at what he saw.

Captain Unohana Retsu was gently holding Gin's wrist, the traitorous shinigami looking up in surprise. The docile captain of the fourth division maintained her constant warm smile as she held her unsheathed zanpakuto in her free hand. Gin's gaze switched between Hitsugaya and the threat of _Minazuki._

"Come now, gentlemen," Unohana said softly as she tightened her grip on Ichimaru's arm. "We wouldn't want things to get out of hand."

"Of course not," Ichimaru Gin exclaimed in an overly-pleasant voice as he dropped his sword to the ground in surrender. "And I certainly wouldn't want to make you mad, Captain Unohana." He smiled his always unnerving smile as she bound his wrists together with _sekkiseki _shackles.

"You are way too scary when you're mad."

------------------------

He was going to die and he couldn't even see it coming.

Hisagi was on the ground, completely surrounded by the frightful darkness of Tousen Kaname's _bankai. _He couldn't see or hear the blood as it rushed out of his body, but he could still feel the vital fluid as it pooled around him and grew cold. _Kazeshini _had reverted back into a regular katana, the shinigami who wielded it too weak to maintain its released from.

Hisagi recalled that Zaraki Kenpachi was able to overcome Tousen's _Enma Kourogi, _but the brutal captain of the eleventh squad had never come out with the tactic he'd used. Up until the point that the massive dome had ruptured, Hisagi believed Tousen's _bankai _to be inescapable. And his current failed attempts did a great deal to strengthen his faith in that belief.

Unless, of course, you're Zaraki Kenpachi.

Memories came flooding back to him as he lay on the ground helplessly. The memory of being saved by Captain Kensei as a child, the thoughts of wanting to be strong like the tattooed man that had stood before him. It was the reason he'd wanted to become a shinigami at all— to be able to be brave and save people from monsters. To never cry again. To those ends, he'd succeeded greatly. He'd become a prodigal student, earning himself a seated position immediately upon his graduation. And as icing on the cake, he was able to choose the division he would be commanding in. Hisagi had jumped at the opportunity to serve under Tousen Kaname in the ninth division, the captain a former disciple of Kensei Muguruma.

And here he was, dying on the floor of the very division he'd strived so hard to become part of.

He began remembering his days as the favorite soldier of Tousen. He'd admired the blind captain, even if the man had been a tad long-winded— a trait that the majority of the division would soon grow to despise, despite their unanimous respect for him. The climb to the rank of lieutenant was—

His vision suddenly returned, snapping him out of his train of thought. But what he saw was not the walls of his division.

He was in a gothic cathedral, the tall walls stretching upwards into high arcs, the dark stone curving in the shadows of the ceilings. Rows of pews stretched out along his sides, the ornate benches faintly glimmering gold from the dim lights of the torches that lined the nave. Directly in front of him, hanging high above the lectern was a ghastly organ. The tall pipes were as black as his uniform, the console below an equally dark and frightening onyx.

And leaning against it was a small boy, dressed in all white.

_Get up, Shuuhei._

The boy stepped forward from the massive instrument, the white keys as blinding in this darkness as the white of his seamless robe. He moved in an oddly gaseous manner, his body moving slowly down the aisle as fog would move across a dark field in the early morning. He now stood before Hisagi, his smooth blonde hair hanging over his eyes as he looked down at the shinigami.

"_Kazeshini," _Hisagi said as he stood within the enormous hall. The boy smiled as his wielder regained his footing upon the ground. The boy reached out a light hand and gently touched the bleeding hole in Hisagi's abdomen, the wound healing slightly under the soft caress. Despite the warm feeling that spread from the boy's fingertips, Hisagi shied away slightly.

_Are you still afraid of me, Shuuhei? _The voice was ethereal, an unnerving cross between a song and a whisper. It was true; despite Tousen's earlier accusations, Hisagi still very much feared his zanpakuto. _Kazeshini's _face hardened slightly, a frown crossing over his delicate features. He looked up at Hisagi, his hair moving out from over his face. His eyes were completely black. _I thought that you could trust me again, Shuuhei. I thought that you would forgive me?_

"Why have you brought me here?" Hisagi asked, ignoring the pleadings of his zanpakuto spirit. _Kazeshini's _shoulders drooped slightly and he turned around to drift back over to the large piano. When he turned to face Hisagi again, his fragile smile had once more returned to his mouth.

_To help you, of course._

"And how do you plan on doing that?"

_Kazeshini _simply chuckled as the organ sounded on its own, the massive pipes bellowing out enormous chords in a heartbreaking progression. The boy in white vanished suddenly, his body disintegrating into a pale cloud, the vapor distributing itself across the floor. Hisagi pulled out his zanpakuto, knowing full well what _Kazeshini _had in mind.

He stood alone in the cathedral for a moment longer before the black mist charged at him.

Hisagi brought his blade up, blocking as an arm of the opaque fog formed into a scythe and slashed at him. The rest of the cloud reshaped itself into the shape of yet another young boy. _Kazeshini _was no longer a fair-skinned child; the form that now stood before Hisagi was a raven-haired beastie, a feral child that was more bone than muscle. The stringy arms of the boy stuck out from the black tunic he wore, thin hands gripping the scythe, the flesh that covered them as grey as storm clouds.

_You're letting the fear take over you! _The voice had also altered drastically, becoming a gurgling hiss. _Fight with the fear, Shuuhei. Not against it! _The apparition swung again, the sickle knocking Hisagi back into a row of pews. The benches toppled backwards into one another, the entire row falling down like dominoes. Hisagi leapt up into the air, disappearing into the blackness that enveloped the ceiling. He landed upon one of the ledges before leaping into the stairwell that led up to the belfry.

He burst into the long room, the four massive bells shining black in the open air of the night. For whatever reason, it was always night inside Hisagi's inner world, the blue moon always casting its eerie glow upon the walls of the spires. _Kazeshini _was already in the belfry, his gaunt form squatting menacingly atop one of the bells like one of the gargoyles that adorned the exterior of the steeple.

_You fear the dark Shuuhei. _The voice, while still sounding phlegmy and menacing, had calmed down some. _It's only human nature to be afraid of such a sense-depriving light. But men have overcome this absence of vision before. You've known them._

"Tousen." Hisagi murmured the name of the blind shinigami that was killing him in the outside world.

_Kazeshini _smiled, a set of jagged and ruined teeth showing in the moonlight. _Yes. The blind have conquered the obstacle of eternal darkness. And how?_ The boy's arm vaporized into black dust as he swung it to his left, the dark fog tearing through the rope that held the bell up to the ceiling. The giant bell plummeted down through the tower as _Kazeshini _completely disintegrated into a black cloud. Hisagi grimaced at the sound of the destruction caused by the falling chime. The bell struck the ground below, causing a great vibration to rumble up through the building. His eyes widened suddenly— he understood.

"Touch…"

_Yes, Shuuhei. _The gentle voice of _Kazeshini _rang out from behind him. Hisagi turned to see that the white-clad boy had returned, the blonde hair reflecting the pale blue of the moon. _Tousen Kaname has left you with the sensation of touch. Use it._

The citadel began to melt away into darkness, _Kazeshini _smiling sadly as he watched his shinigami disappear. Hisagi found himself once more lying down in a pool of his own blood. He could no longer see or hear, but he could feel. He could feel the ground, the cold puddle of his own blood that had pooled around his prone body. He could feel the wounds that were torn through his body.

He could feel Tousen's footsteps upon the ground.

Through the floor of the ninth division, Hisagi Shuuhei could feel his former captain's every move as the blind shinigami walked around. He was circling Hisagi, his steps slow and deliberate as he marched. Hisagi could feel the smallest of movements through the small vibrations cast forth from the movements. He could even feel the words that were falling from the traitorous man's lips.

"…expected more from you, lieutenant." Tousen lectured to what he assumed to be a deaf man. "But I guess it was foolish of me to assume that you could grasp the concept of justice. No, Hisagi…" To Hisagi's shock he knelt down before him. He could feel _Suzumushi _scrape the ground as it was lifted slowly into the air. "…you could only follow the commands of an ignorant leader; you could never see the path that I'd laid out before you. My eyes may be blind, but—"

The words froze as Hisagi's zanpakuto flew out in an aimless and reckless swipe, the razor-sharp edge of the blade opening a crimson trench across Tousen's throat. The black balloon of _Suzumushi _exploded violently as Hisagi's senses were returned to him. The black-skinned man before him grasped at his throat in surprise as he staggered backwards, blood leaking from between his fingers.

Hisagi forced himself to stand as Tousen stumbled onto the ground. He walked over to Aizen's general, _Kazeshini's _blade once more reflecting in the moonlight. He looked down at the grimacing face of Kaname Tousen, into the face of a man who'd betrayed all who'd trusted him the most.

"Shut… up…" was all Hisagi's weak body could muster as he plunged his sword into his former mentor's heart. The shinigami fell backwards, releasing the handle of his sword, leaving it embedded in the flesh of his deceased enemy.

Hisagi Shuuhei stared up at the night sky, smiling happily as his eyes closed. Justice had been done.

----------------

**_author's note_**

_i don't know why i wrote that one part ing gin's perspective, but i'm really happy i did. _

_what does the stats page say about this story's hits? they're over 9000! actually, it's more like 11,000 hits, but i couldn't pass up the opportunity to flog a dead meme. w/e, i'll always laugh at that one._

_if you have the means, play super metroid again. holy cow that game is fun._

_ review pls._

_jta._

**_follow the light - outkast and goodie mob_**


	25. The Knife: Sledgehammer

_**The Knife (Sledgehammer)**_

Aizen Sousuke did not look happy. His normally perfect visage was in ruins, the calm countenance he generally kept had vanished without a trace. His uniform, while usually crisp with perfection, was tattered and disheveled. His hair was loose and dripping with perspiration as it hung in his face, more of the brown strands joining the one that was always dangling in front of his eyes. His left arm was burnt and bloodied up to the forearm, the hand belonging to the limb curled into a twitching fist.

Grimmjow did all he could not to smile.

He and Ichigo walked into the room carefully, their eyes sweeping over every inch as they approached Aizen. The back wall was completely gone, the grandest view of Seireitei being presented to them through the gaping destruction caused by the previous battle. Grimmjow couldn't see his companion and fellow Espada anywhere. His eyes drifted over to the left wall where a much smaller opening had been created; his mind quickly came to the assumption that Ulquiorra had been ejected from the room. Or he'd been completely vaporized.

"Grimmjow Jaggerjaques," despite his appearance, Aizen's voice was still as calm as ever while he addressed the duo. "And Kurosaki Ichigo. What a grand irony it is to see the two of you working as a team."

"_Aizen_," Ichigo hissed as he pointed _Zangetsu_ forward, the tip of the massive cleaver aimed directly at Aizen's throat. "This war ends today."

"Oh?" The man before them smiled gently at the teen's threat. "It's strange to hear you admit your own defeat so readily. I'm pleased to see that my level of interest in you wasn't cast in vain— you are still as interesting as the day I almost killed you."

Ichigo roared forward, his zanpakuto shrinking greatly in size as his _bankai _manifested itself in his hands. Grimmjow pulled his own blade out to join in the attack, but he was too slow; Ichigo was already swinging at Aizen by the time _Pantera_had left its sheath.

Aizen swiftly brought his scarred hand up, effortlessly blocking Ichigo's strike with his open palm. Ichigo quickly vanished in a flash of _shunpo _as Aizen swung his own zanpakuto out, slashing where the shinigami's belly had once been. Aizen's gentle smile hadn't even faltered.

"I see that you've become quite a deal stronger, ryoka boy. I even had to use my whole hand to block that strike." Ichigo reappeared next to Grimmjow, gritting his teeth as Aizen looked over his charred palm, the wounds there not caused by _Tensa Zangetsu._"And you managed to keep yourself in one piece this time," Aizen's smile widened slightly. "I'm truly impressed."

Ichigo screamed and rushed forward once more, this time Grimmjow flying forward alongside him. The substitute shinigami gathered energy around his blade, the black power of his _Getsuga Tenshou_ flowing off the sword like a thick black flame. He brought the blade down again, this time splitting Aizen across his torso. Grimmjow quickly followed suit, plunging his own zanpakuto deep into the gut of his former master. He stood there, looking up at Aizen's calm face as the man's blood dripped down the handle of _Pantera_and onto Grimmjow's fist.

Aizen smiled and vanished.

"_The fuck?"_

Grimmjow spun and blocked, barely bringing his blade up in time to stop Aizen's from slicing across his chest. Grimmjow thrust his sword-hand forward, causing Aizen to leap backwards. Ichigo jumped up and forward then, leaping over Grimmjow to once again slash down at his opponent. Aizen blocked upwards with his sword and thrust his hand out, his index finger jabbing Ichigo directly in the stomach. He looked down into Aizen's eyes in surprise as the former captain smiled and spoke. "_Hadou 4: Byakurai."_

The lightning bolt shot forward as Ichigo spun to his right, the flash of white-hot light only scorching a line across his stomach. As his blade rolled off of Aizen's, he vanished in a blast of _shunpo, _once more narrowly avoiding a fatal slash from _Kyouka Suigetsu. _Grimmjow shot forth again, aiming for Aizen's open back, but the former captain once more vanished after the Arrancar's blade struck at his flesh. Grimmjow's face tightened in frustration as he turned to see Ichigo already charging forward at their reemerged opponent.

The orange-haired teen released a black crescent of energy at Aizen, causing the man to once more vanish into thin air as the attack slammed into the wall behind him. Grimmjow suddenly vanished in a _sonido._He could see the spot Aizen was preparing to occupy— the air had begun to distort behind Ichigo. Grimmjow reappeared at the same time as Aizen, his zanpakuto swinging down in a vicious arc at his unprepared opponent.

Aizen stumbled back in shock as blood erupted from the wound than now stretched along his chest. Ichigo spun around and gasped in shock. Grimmjow recovered from the force of his own blow and reached out once more with his sword, opening another wound in Aizen Sousuke's flesh. The brown-haired man fell onto his back from the power of this second blow and lay still as a pool of blood began to form around his still body.

"Grimmjow," Ichigo spoke slowly, his guard still raised. "Was that really him or was it just an illusion?"

"I don't know. It felt—"

He stopped suddenly as Ichigo's shoulder seemed to open itself, a fountain of blood spraying into the air. The young man groaned and grabbed at his arm as he fell to his knees in pain. Grimmjow sprang forward, barely blocking the zanpakuto as it swung down at his companion's fallen body. Aizen smirked and pushed Grimmjow back, following with a flurry of sword slashes.

He blocked each one, but his lips were parted in a grimace as he was forced back. Aizen suddenly swung hard, the two blades clashing in a shower of sparks as Grimmjow halted and attempted to fight for dominance. The two zanpakuto pushed against each other with an unrivalled ferocity, the wielders equally as aggressive. Grimmjow's grimace deepened as he pressed against the sword. Aizen simply smiled and threw his hand outwards, his palm open.

"_Hadou #1: Shou."_

Grimmjow's eyes flew wide in surprise when the spell did nothing but thrust his body away from his opponent. Aizen smirked and vanished in a flash of _shunpo,_Grimmjow quickly recovering and following suit with his _sonido. _He reappeared first, Aizen quickly following as the two combatants once more crossed blades before vanishing again. Aizen was the first to show himself this time, reemerging in mid-air with Ichigo suddenly appearing in front of him; if he had been surprised by the young shinigami's sudden appearance, he did little to show it.

Ichigo's black sword swung against Aizen's as Grimmjow appeared behind him, his own zanpakuto swinging in for a strike. Aizen extended his foot as the Arrancar approached, catching the blue-haired Espada in the gut. He then thrust forward with his zanpakuto, sending Ichigo plummeting towards the floor of the room. Aizen flash-stepped upwards, ascending ever closer to the high ceilings of the Captain-commander's office. Grimmjow and Ichigo were mere seconds behind, both lashing out in unison.

Aizen's face remained as pleasantly calm as ever as his left hand reached out and grabbed _Tensa Zangetsu,_his fist clenching down upon the blade like a vice. His zanpakuto simultaneously blocked Grimmjow's strike and, with a swift thrust of his sword, sent the Espada flying backwards. With Grimmjow briefly disposed of, Aizen pulled Ichigo inwards, landing a fierce knee in the teen's gut. Ichigo gasped as blood came out of his mouth. Aizen chuckled slightly as he vanished, allowing Ichigo to fall freely to the floor. But the shinigami disappeared as well, not even taking the time to recover from being doubled-over. Grimmjow quickly followed suit, trying to tandem with his orange-haired partner.

Wherever Aizen reappeared, one of the duo was there to strike at him. Ichigo slashed as Grimmjow stabbed, but neither of the two could actually land a blow upon his body. After several strikes, the pair was able to sync up once more, but to no avail. Again Aizen was able to spin his way out of a double sword slash from his two opponents, disappearing as their swords clashed against each other's. Grimmjow suddenly fell out of the sky as Aizen appeared behind him, a stream of blood falling from his back as he dropped.

Ichigo was quick to take advantage of this sudden opening, his black _bankai_swinging forward as it once more released the red-tinged crescent blast. Grimmjow had only just fallen out of the way when the attack reached its target. Aizen brought up his blade to block, but the _Getsuga Tenshou _proved far too powerful; his opponent had been too close when the attack was released and the momentum was pushing against him greatly. Aizen swung his blade with gusto, splitting the opaque blast in two. The force of the shinigami's attack still took its toll on him, however— Aizen was physically unharmed, but the force of the blow had sent him backwards through the hole in the wall and out into the night sky.

The sound of a _sonido _above him caused his head to snap up. Grimmjow Jaggerjaques had appeared a few feet above Aizen, flying backwards to keep pace with him as an already formed _cero_swirled in his free hand.

For the first time in the fight, Aizen's face lost its pleasant smile.

The former _Sexta_Espada grinned sadistically before thrusting his hand forward, the crimson blast raining down on Aizen with a sonorously low roar. The former captain threw up his hands to block, but the attack was too well executed, too well timed. Aizen was sent plummeting as the red beam propelled him to the ground.

The explosion from the _cero_sent debris flying in a massive column of smoke and earth as the walls surrounding the courtyard fell under the force of the blast. Grimmjow and Ichigo lowered themselves to the ground as the dust began to settle, both breathing heavily from the continuous assault they'd just participated in. Not only had Aizen kept on par with both of them at once, but he'd actually held the upper hand on numerous occasions. It felt good that they'd actually hit him this time.

The silhouette of Aizen Sousuke slowly became visible as the airborne debris dissipated.

Grimmjow heard Ichigo swear under his breath. The former Espada had to chuckle slightly— it just so happened to be the _same_ word he was thinking. The dust and dirt finally settled completely, leaving an even more disheveled Aizen standing in the center of a large crater. He smiled up from the chasm as he swept his hand up and through his hair, the brown mess perfecting itself at the touch of his fingertips. His smile had returned.

"My, my," he said as he walked slowly up the bowl-shaped basin towards his two opponents. "I never thought that the two of you could even touch me in the forms that you are in. I humbly admit my miscalculation." He snickered as he reached the cusp of the crater and held his sword out towards them. "I would recommend that you release you _resurrección_soon, Grimmjow. The same goes for your hybrid mask, Kurosaki." His smile broadened.

"Shatter, _Kyouka Suigetsu."_

Aizen's blade exploded into billions of shimmering particles, the blue and violet dust spreading through the air as the traitorous shinigami began to distort from view. His body began twisting and warping in the air like a video screen under static duress, his form stretching as it was pulled from side to side like putty. Eventually the man before them vanished completely.

There was a brief moment of silent respite before the attack resumed.

Aizen suddenly appeared before Grimmjow, his sword raining down on the Arrancar's blocks. His eyes widened in shock at the strength applied in the strikes that the shinigami repeatedly cut out; it felt to Grimmjow like Aizen was putting everything he had into driving him backwards. Once more Grimmjow planted his foot and halted his retreat as he pushed forward in an attempt to push Aizen away from him. He caught Ichigo's movements in the corner of his eye, causing him to whip his head around in shock.

The substitute shinigami was zipping around in bursts of _shunpo_, sparring with Aizen Sousuke.

_How the fuck is he—? _Grimmjow thought as the Aizen in front of him vanished. The Arrancar jumped back and resumed his guard, waiting for the illusionist to appear once more. He risked a quick look to his right and noticed that Ichigo was standing still as well, the apparition that was once fighting against him now gone.

"_My hypnosis affects more than just your eyes," _the disembodied voice of Aizen spoke out from the warm night air. "_It grabs hold of all your senses. If my _Kyouka Suigetsu _makes a noise, you'll hear it. If it swings forth a blade, you'll see it. And if it cuts you with that blade…"_Two copies of Aizen showed up on both sides of Grimmjow, an identical pair appearing next to Ichigo. "_...you'll feel it." _The two pairs of illusions jumped forward at Grimmjow and Ichigo. Both swordsmen leapt high into the air, avoiding the attack.

The shinigami swung his blade downward, the falcate attack once more tearing through the sky as it rocketed towards their assailants. Grimmjow had already prepared a follow-up attack as he shot eight _bala_blasts out of his free hand in rapid succession, each of the small red bullets trailing directly behind the _Getsuga Tenshou_. The pair flew higher into the air as the four copies of Aizen were dismembered below them.

They stopped in mid-air as another troupe of the deadly illusions encircled them. The two warriors exchanged quick glances; they both smirked, knowing what the other was thinking as the quartet of apparitions drew their blades.

Grimmjow began to run his fingernails down the broadside of _Pantera _as Ichigo reached a hand up to his face, his hand curling like a claw in front of his forehead.

* * *

Seireitei was slowly beginning to return to normal.

Soi Fon was walking through the halls of the fourth division, doing the best she could to help the squadron of gifted healers. Her own wounds had been minimal; she'd been able to make it, without aid, from the twelfth division in only a handful of flash-steps.

There were those that needed the beds far more than she did.

Hitsugaya Toshirou's left arm and shoulder were hanging limp by his side, but he'd refused medical attention. Once more Captain Unohana had to provide emergency measures to keep Hinamori Momo alive. Ichimaru Gin had pierced completely through her stomach with his spear-like zanpakuto, and the lengthy battle that had ensued between the two white-haired prodigies had left her without medical attention for a while. Hitsugaya remained near her bed, despite the constant pleas of third-seat Yasochika Iemura to seek treatment.

Hinamori still remained in critical condition.

Soi Fon passed by Kira in the halls; he nodded quickly in courtesy as he swiftly passed her by. Much to his embarrassment, the blonde-haired lieutenant had been carried into the fourth division slung over the shoulder of the "ever-helpful" Captain Komamura. Kira's injuries had only been superficial, but despite his insistence that he could walk on his own, the massive canine shinigami had refused to put him down. It would seem that Kira, a former member of this division, was now trying to prove that he was very much able to work.

Soi Fon walked past an open door and stopped, swiftly retracing her steps as she looked inside.

"Shuuhei?"

She rushed into the room, the lieutenant of the ninth division opening his eyes slightly as she took up a chair next to his bed. He smiled gingerly at her, but his mouth quickly curved downward in pain.

"What happened to you, you idiot?" She spoke to him roughly; she didn't mean to sound cruel towards the young man, but it was the only way she knew how to talk to him. After the long history they'd had with one another, she could only hope that he knew she still cared about him.

Even if she would never admit it.

"Justice," he said with a frail laugh, despite the apparent pain it caused him. "Tousen's _bankai _is a bitch to get out of."

She chuckled at his joke, even as she felt the warmth spread across her cheeks. This talented young shinigami had once been her lover— the sight of him on his back with white bandages stained scarlet with blood… she couldn't help herself.

"Oh don't cry, you doofus," he said as he reached a weak hand out and held hers. "Somebody might see you and then your secret would be out. Everyone will know you're a big wussie."

"Shut up," she said with a chuckle, her nose sniffling slightly as she laughed.

"Besides, Captain U. says I'll be ok. Something about my wounds healing themselves while I was passed out or something."

"Well, aren't you just full of surprises," she remarked sarcastically. "Lieutenant _Shuuhei_."

"Always have been."

He smiled weakly and closed his eyes, letting go of her hand. She looked at him as he lay in the bed, his scars and tattoos and fierce glare all gone; he was simply Hisagi Shuuhei, the young man that had, for a brief moment in time, held her heart in his hand. As she watched him sleep, she could feel all the bad blood that had been between them begin to dissipate.

An explosion shook the earth beneath their feet, causing Soi Fon to jump up out the chair she'd been occupying. She looked out the window as a massive plume of smoke erupted from the direction of the first division. She turned to leave, her hand reaching around to the small of her back to clutch at _Suzumebachi's _hilt.

"Do you think you can really help him?"

She stopped dead in her tracks as Hisagi's voice rose up from the bed behind her. She turned slowly to see his eyes focused on her.

"What do you mean by—?"

"Oh come on, Soi," he said with an amused chuckle. "We're not stupid, you know. It's as clear as fuckin' day."

Soi Fon gritted her teeth slightly, annoyed that she wasn't nearly as secretive as she'd thought she'd been. _What the hell? _she thought as Hisagi once more laughed at the look on her face. _Does everyone fucking know?_

"Why do you think everyone is sitting in here instead of rushing out to the first division?" He asked while she loosened the grip on her zanpakuto. Her glare on him didn't lessen as he continued, however. "Aizen is a beast, Soi. He's a monster. There's nobody else in this world better suited to fight him than Grimmjow Jaggerjaques."

Soi Fon looked at Hisagi Shuuhei for a full minute, her stare on him unwavering. Eventually she turned to leave, looking over her shoulder at the man in the hospital bed. She cast him a small smile.

"Thanks anyway, Shuuhei."

He couldn't even protest as she strode out of the room.

* * *

_**author's note**_

_we're gettin close, kiddies... the final battle is under way! will soi fon be able to help grimmjow? is aizen too powerful to stop? where's ulquiorra? all of these to be answered in the next chapter: "So 26. like i'm really gonna tell you the name of the next chapter. you crazy."_

_i got another piece of fanart for the story. ff user__**lackasexical**__(DA:__**staticEnvy**__) made a sweet little sig banner. check it out, if you gots the time: jasotheartisan(dot)deviantart(dot)com. it's one of my three favs._

_also, too. after i finished this chapter, i whipped up another one for "__**amore come dolore**__". chapter six sheds a little light on some past events between our heroine and a certain lieutenant. check it out, it's like a nice little dessert after this chapter._

_thuggin' love,_

_jaso~!_

_**the knife - genesis**_

_**sledgehammer - peter gabriel**_


	26. The Stone: Lifeboat

_**The Stone (Lifeboat)**_

He stood from the rubble of his division, dried blood coursing down the left side of his face, the eye on that side swollen completely shut. He began walking forward slowly, favoring his right leg. He glanced down at his left thigh, his face twisting in pain as he surveyed the damage done to his limb. _All things considered, _he thought as he looked at the hole running through his leg, _it's not that bad._

Aizen and Gin had visited him personally.

The word of Captain-commander Yamamoto's murder had just reached his office when he'd leapt up from the desk, streaking for the door. He had been outraged and sickened at the news; rumor had held that one of the Espada had collaborated with Lieutenant Sasakibe in the assassination. He had barely reached his door before it had been blown in.

Ichimaru Gin had blasted the door into the office with _Shinsou,_the fox-faced traitor smiling eerily as he stepped into the room. Aizen followed behind him almost immediately, unsheathing his zanpakuto as he entered. He'd fought against them with all he'd had, but the ancient partners eventually overwhelmed his strength as Ichimaru's _wakizashi_pierced through his thigh and Aizen blew the entire building down with high-level _kidou._

Now he stood as the massive column of smoke from the first division rose into the sky. He could feel the reiatsu of the three combatants pulsating across Seireitei as he stood in the wreckage of his quarters. He stepped forward once more, gingerly placing more weight on his injured leg. When he was satisfied that his wounded limb would not fail him, he looked up and towards the battle.

"Well," he spoke softly as he removed the signature piece of cloth from around his shoulders. He draped the silken garment on a chair that had miraculously stayed erect as he walked out of his office.

"I guess it can't be helped."

* * *

Kurosaki Ichigo panted like a dog as he leapt back from his fallen opponent.

_Opponents_.

So much had happened to Ichigo over the past six months. Back in May, he'd have never guessed that he would be here now, his soul torn from his body as it accomplished superhuman feats while fighting for the fate of the universe. It was almost enough to make him laugh. He only wished that he could use this as an excuse for his slipping grades, but he doubted that his teacher would ever believe that he was a shinigami fighting against damned and cursed spirits in an attempt to stop a madman from seizing control of God's throne.

_Shit, _he thought as another set of Aizen's clones encircled him, _it all sounds kinda silly when I actually say it…_

But even worse, he was starting to run out of excuses for his bad grades. When his last report card had come in, his father had been furious. Kurosaki Isshin wanted more than anything for his son to take over the clinic after he retired, but Ichigo's marks continued to fall closer and closer to the 'unacceptable' line. And while his excuse _should_be valid, he could never reveal the truth to his family.

Like his stupid dad could ever comprehend something like fighting hollows anyway.

Ichigo reached forward, his black blade streaking across the sky as it eviscerated two of the illusions before him. He spent no time looking upon his kill as his masked face turned, staring at the other half of the attacking force. _Even with my mask on, I can't get rid of him, _he thought as the remaining copies of Aizen rushed at him simultaneously, their twin blades arcing through the air as they jabbed at the shinigami.

Ichigo vanished in a blast of _shunpo _as the two clones neared him. He began to dance circles around the duo, his form stepping in and out of visibility as he forced them to go back to back with one another. The high-speed threshing suddenly stopped as Ichigo's blade came crashing down onto "Aizen's", the force of the blow shoving the illusionary man into his twin's back. The Vizard's gold and black eyes glared at the passionless face of the man before him as black flames licked around his zanpakuto, _Zangetsu _shoving the clones together.

"_Getsuga Tenshou."_

The attack screamed forward, immediately disintegrating the two _doppelgangers_ as it tore through the air and slammed into the ground. Ichigo breathed harder as he felt his energy slip into the first stages of fatigue.

He growled in irritation at the thought, his voice bubbling slightly with his hollowed form.

While the clones were being indefatigably re-spawned, he'd suffered very little physical harm at their blades. Though he had been cut by the illusions, their blows were weak and their movements were sloppy. Aizen was simply putting the numbers on his side and hoping that the Arrancar and the Vizard would eventually tire. And though Ichigo didn't want to put words in Grimmjow's mouth, he was probably getting tired too.

He didn't dwell on the thought for much longer as another collection of clones appeared and attacked him.

* * *

Soi Fon streaked past the third division, noting the extensive damage as she flash-stepped over the remains of the front wall. She could still feel the reiatsu of Grimmjow ahead, but it was getting weaker by the second. Even with the three of them against Aizen, it seemed that the traitorous captain was successfully holding his ground.

She was worried.

Her conversation with Hisagi had snapped something inside of her. She was tired of being alone, tired of having nobody to sleep next to, of having nobody to wake up next to. Looking at Shuuhei laying in the fourth division, she realized that she needed someone to care about, and someone to care about her.

And she wanted it to be that blue-haired Espada, dammit.

Something about the way he treated her felt right. It felt perfect. He wasn't overly sweet to her, he didn't put up with her bullshit. Hell, he even kicked her ass in a fight. And oh, the sex… Where else was she supposed to find someone like that? She'd cared about Hisagi- with all her heart she'd cared about him. But not once did she feel the same way about Shuuhei as she did about Grimmjow.

And right now, Soi Fon was gonna make sure Grimmjow was gonna stay alive long enough for her to enjoy him.

She was approaching the second division when one of the walls to her right exploded outwards, a huge Arrancar bursting out from the rubble in front of her. She stopped quickly as the massive figure towered over her small frame, a gruesome smile on his face. Despite being bald, he maintained a long black ponytail that ran halfway down his back and a pair of equally dark sideburns. The remains of his mask took the shape of a lower jawbone that was fastened tightly to his face. A large black hole was bored into his chest and a pair of red marks adorned his cheeks.

Soi Fon flashed forward with extreme speed, leapt onto the giant's chest, and rammed her zanpakuto into his throat. He looked up in surprise and gurgled in pain as blood began pouring from his mouth and nose. She twisted the blade around in the flesh of his neck, ensuring that the blade did as much damage as possible, and that the wound could not close. She ripped the sword out of his trachea, slinging an arc of blood through the air as it went, and flash-stepped into nothingness before he even fell to the ground.

Soi Fon didn't know it, but she'd just killed the tenth Espada.

* * *

The grin was still plastered on his face, even though he didn't feel very happy.

Ichimaru Gin sat in the holding cell of Captain Unohana's division, _Sekkiseki _shackles chaining him to the wall, a collar of the same stone around his neck. It wasn't so bad in the cell, except that he was beginning to feel awfully claustrophobic. He'd always figured that Unohana had at least _one_holding cell in the division.

He just never knew that she'd have _only_ one.

Another explosion rocked through Seireitei, the evidence of Aizen's continuing battle coming to the fore once again. Gin tilted his head up slightly as he reached out with his mind, feeling for his companion's reiatsu. His smile faltered slightly as he touched it. _Sousuke,_he thought solemnly, a_re they truly giving you that much trouble?_

Aizen was struggling. Gin could feel that his mentor's reiatsu was at an unacceptably low level and it was perplexing him terribly. _He hasn't used his_bankai _in so long,_he thought. _Maintaining it for as long as he did was probably unwise but… it shouldn't be draining him this much. Unless he's cloning himself too much but… who could possibly force him to go that far?_

He had definitely felt Grimmjow's reiatsu surge like a monstrous wave when the Espada had released his zanpakuto. Still, Grimmjow in his released state should still be of little difficulty to Aizen. The Arrancar was fast, but the shinigami should, theoretically only need to clone himself a handful of times to kill the former _Sexta _Espada.

Identifying the owner of the other spiritual pressure was giving Gin troubles, however. It felt terribly familiar, but extremely foreign at the same time. It felt almost like an Espada's reiatsu; it was dark and cruel and powerful. But Gin could recognize all of the Arrancar and he couldn't readily place this one. And in their fight against Aizen…

Whoever it belonged to certainly wasn't helping matters much.

He searched out further, trying to sense the life-forces of his fellow invaders, but he was coming up with nothing. Ichimaru had felt Tousen's reiatsu vanish while he'd been led away by Unohana. He hadn't been all that surprised that the blind shinigami had lost; while his _bankai_was extremely difficult to escape from, it had happened to Kaname in the past. And despite the possibility of him losing being present, Tousen remained overly-confident while tucked away within his black balloon.

It would seem that his opponent this time around had not been as merciful as Zaraki Kenpachi had been.

The earth rumbled once more, causing him to again seek out Aizen's diminishing reiatsu. His signature smile fell completely this time as his old friend's spirit pressure continued its downward spiral.

Ichimaru Gin wasn't sure if he'd be getting out of this one.

* * *

When his foot caught the clone in the chin, Grimmjow used his opponent's body as a launching point. He thrust his clawed foot forward, decapitated the illusion, and rocketed himself backwards and into the next Aizen copy. He was upside down as he speared his hand forward, the black claws piercing straight through the body of his opponent. He retracted his arm and flipped forward, the man disintegrating into blue and lavender particles as he fell to the ground.

_They seem to be going down more easily, _Grimmjow thought. _At least there's that._

Despite the small blessing, he couldn't seem to find a smile to put upon his face. He was exhausted. The Aizen clones had kept on coming, one after another, slowly bleeding Grimmjow of his endurance. And though he didn't want to put words in his mouth, he was pretty sure that Ichigo was feeling the same way. Grimmjow risked a quick glance over at his shinigami companion and chuckled; that fucking mask of his was almost gone.

As much as he hated Aizen, Grimmjow never thought he'd be here, fighting against the man that had basically created him. The Arrancar were an animal born of fear and hate and sorrow; to them, Aizen Sousuke was a powerful idol that had crushed these emotions in himself. To them he was benevolent in his giving, granting them power to replace their failings and bright futures to replace their despair. Many of these blessed hollows followed him out of fear; fear of being stripped of these gifts, fear of being crushed by the wrath of their newly attained God.

Grimmjow Jaggerjaques was not one of them.

Grimmjow followed Aizen for one reason— to command respect. A creature born of fear must be able to instill fear into the hearts of those below him. Being afraid of someone above you was an implication of frailty that he simply could not live with. He always strived to grow stronger and smarter and bigger; anything to make those below him dread him more than he could ever dread the world around him. And to accomplish this, he needed Aizen above him.

But now Grimmjow had a new goal. He had developed the desire to take all of the power he had accumulated in crushing the man who had used him and his kind like cattle. Aizen could create an army and use his soldiers as distractions and shields, as if they were but instruments to his success. And where he could carelessly sacrifice his creations, Soul Society had taken them in. The shinigami had looked past the fact that the Arrancar were their sworn enemies, looked beyond the notion that these were the nightmares that they had trained their whole lives to slaughter, and treated them as equals. They had given him a place he could call home. For this, for Soul Society, for Soi Fon, he would crush Aizen Sousuke. Even if it drained him of the rest of his strength.

After all, Grimmjow had always been one to repay his debts.

His arms lurched forward, his claws slashing out teal gashes through the sky in their wake. Grimmjow knew it would be the final time he could use this attack; he would be surprised if he could even produce a _cero_after using it, but Aizen's clones were beginning to appear in larger hordes. If he was going to lose his ability to fight soon, he could at least take out more of the illusions with him.

_Desgarrón,_his most powerful attack, rocketed out from his fingertips and towards another group of Aizen's clones. Lacerations ripped across skin as the attack tore through their bodies and hit the earth below. More buildings fell as the blasts slammed into the ground, the explosion bringing up large clouds of dirt. Grimmjow doubled over in exhaustion as his _resurrección _began to melt away, the white armor turning into smoke as it fell off of his skin and reformed itself into his zanpakuto.

"Grimmjow!"

Ichigo's scream brought the Arrancar's head up as he noticed the shinigami was rushing to his side. The boy's mask had completely vanished, leaving him looking as exhausted as Grimmjow felt. He stood up swiftly, hoping that the teenager wasn't thinking that he needed any sort of help. But he soon noticed that the shinigami's brown eyes were focused on the ground below as he flew over to him. Grimmjow followed his gaze, his own azure eyes widening as Ichigo arrived at his side.

Aizen was on the street below them, leaning heavily on one knee as he breathed harshly.

The brown-haired man soon stood, his composure returning as he looked up at them. A solitary illusion appeared before them, the form of Aizen looking at them calmly while the real thing remained safe below.

"I must say," the fantastic shinigami spoke calmly, its voice serene despite the amount of fatigue its wielder was showing beneath them. "I had never expected the two of you to last this long against my hypnoses. I commend you, truly." The smile faded. "I must end this now, however. I can no longer risk defeat by withholding my full power."

The air around the apparition began to twist and warp, the atmosphere rippling with shades of cerulean and purple as more clones began to appear. And more. And more. There were soon dozens of the brown-haired man, each one brandishing a razor-sharp zanpakuto as they stood before the two combatants. They continued to spawn out of nothing, a phalanx of deadly illusions a hundred deep staring down the hopelessly outnumbered and exhausted duo.

A wave of pink blades filled their visions as it swallowed the horde of clones.

Captain Byakuya Kuchiki stood below them, his face bloodied, his white haori and pale scarf missing from around his shoulders. _Senbonzakura Kageyoshi_ roared forth in massive waves, crushing the army of _doppelgangers_ beneath its countless blades. He looked up at the two fighters above him, his normally impassive mouth curving into a slight grin as a hole in the lethal cyclone opened, offering a window to the shocked form of Aizen.

Grimmjow Jaggerjaques and Kurosaki Ichigo looked at one another for only a second before rocketing downwards, their smiles returned.

Both of them began flashing in and out of sight as they flew down, their positions changing randomly while they descended ever closer to their joint target. Grimmjow's _sonido_was perfectly synced with Ichigo's _shunpo, _both sets of flash-steps creating a blurred double-helix of black and white, of blue and orange. The Espada could see the panic spread on the face awestruck man below, his blade rebuilding itself as they approached at an incredible speed. He burst forth once more, his smile wide and vicious as he swung _Pantera_forward.

Aizen's zanpakuto found its way through Grimmjow's chest.

The blue-haired Arrancar's smirk didn't even falter as the blade erupted from his back and the blood began to pour out of the wound. He simply grinned his wicked grin and grabbed onto Aizen Sousuke's wrist as Ichigo beheaded him from behind.

_Fuckin' figures… _Grimmjow thought idly as he fell to the ground, _that little punk _would _kill Aizen._

_

* * *

_

Soi Fon wasn't the only one to arrive at the first division then. Kyoraku Shunsui arrived at the same time she did, his swords drawn as he pulled himself out of _shunpo._Komamura Sajin and Unohana Retsu appeared as well, both captains looking ready for battle. The fight had ended suddenly, and it seemed that was the only cue they needed to move in. So Soi Fon wasn't the only captain to appear at the wreckage of the first division.

But she was the only one to dash across the courtyard and over to the three fighters in the middle of it.

Grimmjow was on his back, a pool of blood beginning to form around him. Ichigo was kneeling next to him while Kuchiki Byakuya stood nearby. _Oh fuck._She was on her knees and next to him within an instant, not caring how she looked to the other captains as she practically slid along the ground to his side. She soon realized that the duo was chuckling. Her eyes were fierce as she glared at Kurosaki's smile, Grimmjow's smile, the wound that was located just below his right pectoral, and back at Kurosaki.

"Why haven't you gone and gotten medical assistance yet, Kurosaki?" she asked indignantly, trying to see what was so funny.

"He said he didn't need any help," Ichigo replied with a chuckle, further deepening the scowl that was on the second division captain's face.

"Don't put words in my mouth, you jackass," Grimmjow said, his voice hoarse, his breaths ragged. "I said I didn't _want _any help." He looked over at Soi Fon, his eyes softening as he looked at her. He suddenly squeezed his eyes shut, sucking air in through his teeth as he grimaced in pain. "But I probably _do_ need some."

He turned his gaze back to Ichigo. "Would you and Captain Hair-Noodles over there mind getting a doctor before the good captain here has a stroke?" His grin returned, wicked as ever as she glared at him. With another laugh, Ichigo stood and departed, Captain Kuchiki making sure to walk slightly ahead of him.

Grimmjow's impossibly blue eyes swam back over to her as he managed a weak smile. He was beginning to shiver slightly and his skin was growing colder beneath her touch. Absurdly, she wished she could give him the warmth she felt in her cheeks as the tears began to form on her eyelids. His mouth turned up at the corner, his frail smile turning into an even fainter smirk.

"What do you think, little captainess?" he asked softly, his voice almost a whisper. "Not half bad, right?"

"Of course not, you stupid..." she said, trying to return his attempts at joviality, but her voice was lost in a small hiccup. His faint smile fell slightly as the first of her tears rolled down her cheeks and fell from her chin. She could hear Captain Unohana walking up behind her, but she couldn't turn away from Grimmjow. She felt like staring at him in her tear-stained vision was all she could do to keep him alive

"Hey, don't be doin' any of that," he said with a weak chuckle and an even weaker squeezing of her hand. His eyelids were wavering as he spoke, the blue eyes beneath them swimming in and out of focus. "I'm gonna be fine."

His smile faded completely as his eyes fluttered closed.

* * *

_**author's note**_

_whew. that was a fun run of chapters. ended all them fights just in time for the epilogue._

_a few things:_

_"hypnoses" is the plural of "hypnosis" plz don't be messaging me about it._

_reviews, please._

_that's 100,000+ words kiddies. we made it._

_**fuck **__yammi._

_shoulda been studyin._

_jta~!_

_**the stone - dave matthews band**_

_**lifeboat - lovage**_


	27. Epilogues

_**Epilogue:**_

_**A Warm Place**_

A year passed.

The sun had continued to rise and fall and the moon had followed. Babies were born as the old died; buildings that had fallen were rebuilt. Wounds that bled were mended; the pains of loss that tore at heartstrings would fade. The flow of time continued, unopposed as it always had and always would.

And meetings. Captain's meetings would continue to occur with all of their familiar regularity.

Soi Fon stood in the first division for the first time in over a year. During Aizen Sousuke's final attack on Soul Society, these halls had been ravaged the worst. Seireitei had even sought carpenters and contractors from Rukongai in their efforts to rebuild the central building of the Gotei 13. The Captain-commander had to hold their meetings in less-damaged divisions up until this very moment. Which was usually the second division, it being the one closest to the first. So Soi Fon was glad to stand in this room, even if the meeting being held within it was painfully insipid.

Her eyes drifted around the room, as she was prone to do, while the conference took another boring turn.

Most of the captains present held their places as they always had. Kuchiki Byakuya, captain of the sixth division, stood in quiet respect for the others, his head down, his eyes closed. It was in this position he'd remained in most of the recent meetings. Soul Society had entered a time of peace; there wasn't much the noble captain had to say lately.

Hitsugaya Toshirou had begun to take on many of his fellow captain's mannerisms. The white-haired youth also kept silent throughout the entirety of most of their gatherings. While he'd never been much of a conversationalist in the first place, the recent months seemed to the toll that the war had taken on him. It seemed that more time was still needed to mend some wounds.

Mayuri Kurotsuchi remained unchanged throughout his existence, still grinning eerily, still tittering in an odd manner. With the exception of his time in solitary confinement, the twelfth division captain had kept to his labs for the majority of his time in Seireitei; who knew if the odd man in the back of the room felt any effects of the newly ended war?

Soi Fon's eyes jumped across the aisle and chuckled.

Eleventh division captain Madarame Ikkaku managed to fall asleep during every meeting, somehow being able to stay on his feet and go unnoticed by the Captain-commander. The reason for his naps was usually owed to a night of drinking before. Yet despite his upright slumbers, and occasional psychotic outbursts, the bald man had made an excellent captain of the eleventh division. He led the battle-crazed squadron with unrivalled passion, his teaching methods different than any captain that had graced the division before him. None of this made more evident than his retiring the title of "Kenpachi"; he wanted that way of thinking to die with the man that, to him, had embodied it the most.

"Is there anything else the captains would care to discuss?" The voice of Captain-commander Unohana Retsu asked softly, stirring Soi Fon from her thoughts. Unohana, former captain of the fourth division, had been voted into replacing Yamamoto Genryuusai. While everyone, herself included, assumed that the position would have been relinquished to Kyoraku Shunsui, he turned all offers down. He chose instead to speak at great lengths about how his old _sempai _was "for more qualified" than he, and that the levels of paperwork were "far more befitting" of someone with her caliber of responsibility. He explained to all of Seireitei that she would make a grand Captain-commander.

And it seemed that he had been correct. Unohana Retsu had been nothing short of exemplary.

When no one replied to her question, the meeting was adjourned. Soi Fon turned and strode out through the massive doorframe, smiling lightly as her face hit the warm sunlight. She covered her mouth as a small yawn escaped into the morning air. She wanted to go home and grab a quick nap; the wonderful thing about Soul Society during a peaceful era was the lack of paperwork. And since they were few and far between, she was certainly going to enjoy the benefits of the current one.

"Oi, Soi Fon!" She turned at her name as Ikkaku walked up to her, looking silly with his tattered haori, his zanpakuto resting casually against his shoulder, his feet and head bare. "Would you mind swinging by the eleventh this afternoon? We're still trying to replenish our ranks and I'm holding tryouts for seated positions. Wanna give a little bit of help in judging?"

The eleventh division had suffered the most during Aizen's invasion, the traitor's _bankai _hypnotizing the whole squad and sending them into a blind and murderous rampage. Ikkaku himself had been the primary target of Aizen's spell, the hex granting him the power to slaughter most of the division, including his captain and lieutenant. He'd taken a while to recover from the harrowing news, but he'd eventually resurfaced all the stronger. When he'd taken his captaincy exam, Soi Fon had been one of the judges to examine him. And she'd been blown away.

Still, she had very little desire to watch a bunch of academy grads attempt to fight for seated positions. She had a nap to take, dammit.

"Is Lieutenant Ayasegawa's advice not valued by you," she asked sarcastically, "Captain Madarame?"

"Oh no. Nothin' like that," he said with a laugh, rubbing the back of his head. "Yumichika'll be there too. I was just wonderin' if you'd be interested in taking a look at the new recruits. Guys from the academy promised me that they're the best fighters they got." He shot her a knowing glance as he walked alongside her. "Ain't the Secret Mobile Operations' ranks still a little thin? And I _know_ you're still in need a lieutenant."

Soi Fon sighed; both of these things were true. If the winter war had hit the eleventh division's ranks the hardest, then the second was right behind it. She'd lost her lieutenant above Karakura town and twenty of her top assassins had been killed in Aizen's subsequent invasion. She _really _needed more men. She was starting to make regular visits to the Maggot's Nest, and that was something she truly disliked doing.

"I guess I could try to make it," she said eventually. "When do you need me by?"

"Prolly around1300 or thereabout," he said with a large smile. "That's when the kids'll be showin' up, at least."

"Alright."

"See ya then, Soi Fon!" he called out as he bolted off in the opposite direction, over-using his captain's right to a lack of formality.

She was in her quarters before she knew it, her mind already set for a mid-morning nap. She'd be forgoing lunch to both nap _and _meet with Ikkaku, but she'd be fine without it; she'd eaten a large breakfast. Which was most likely the reason that all she wanted to do was get some more sleep. But as she walked into her quarters, it became readily apparent that someone had other plans.

One of her subordinates had left a pile of forms for her to sign on the large wooden desk. She sighed heavily, knowing that she wouldn't be getting that nap after all. She sat down at her desk and grabbed a brush, mindlessly signing her name upon the forms. Her pace slowed as she looked back over her shoulder and at her bed.

She exhaled in disappointment, a small noise escaping her throat as she looked at the clean and undisturbed white sheets. It felt like forever since she'd slept with someone next to her. The passage of time could vanquish some of a person's lamentations, but a lonely sunrise was not one it could conquer. Even while her body craved a short rest, her mind deflated with the knowledge that nobody would be laying next to her while she slept. She sighed once more and turned back to the papers.

"Well," a smooth voice called from the doorway. "That was the saddest sound I've heard all week."

Her head snapped up from the reports beneath her on the desk, her eyes lighting up at the form of the blue-haired Arrancar in her doorway. She stood and quickly crossed the room, wrapping her arms around Grimmjow Jaggerjaques' neck before kissing him deeply. He returned the kiss with an equal amount of passion, his hands resting on her hips.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, finally pulling her mouth away from his. He lowered his mouth down to her neck, kissing a small trail along her collarbone. "I thought you weren't going to be back for another month?"

"We finished up early out there," he said between nibbles, the small bites eliciting a string of sighs from her lips. "Most of the Arrancar have all vanished. _Las Noches _is pretty much empty now." She pulled away from him and walked back into the room, gently pulling him along by his fingers.

"_Early?"_ she asked with a scoff, laying down on the bed as she ignored the paperwork. "You've been gone for almost eight months."

He shrugged as he lay on the bed next to her, his arm sliding around her waist as she shifted backwards into the concave curve of his body. "What can I say? We're efficient." He was soon resuming the kisses along her neck, her eyes closing in pleasure as he did so.

"Did you at least get the rest of the _Espada _while you were over there?" she asked between heavy breaths. She began to writhe slowly against his groin, his hips repeating the motion.

"Renji actually killed the _Segundo,"_ he said with a chuckle. "But the others were gone before we got there. We're just lucky Barragan thinks he's a king and stuck around."

"Slackers."

"Shut up."

She rolled over and began kissing him, her hands sliding over the scar on his chest as they began to remove his white jacket. He groaned and pushed away slightly, looking into her eyes.

"I can't," he said, disappointment evident on both their faces. "Ol' lady Unohana wants me and Ulquiorra to give out reports in person. Immediately. Maybe we can finish this up after I get back?"

"Mm," She leaned in and kissed him. "No can do. I'm going to be at the eleventh helping Ikkaku and Yumichika with tryouts."

"What? Those two will be fine," he said, trying to ignore the small bites she was placing on the side of his neck. "They certainly don't need you all afternoon. I, on the other hand, _do._"

"I need a lieutenant, Grimmjow. I'm hoping there will be some promising subjects there."

"_Everyone _needs a lieutenant," he said with a chuckle. "What makes you so special?"

"I have two divisions to rebuild," she said with a playfully scolding tone. "That's what."

"Well," he said. "I could be your lieutenant."

"Not a chance. You're going to be my third seat."

"What?" He sat up quickly, looking at her with mockingly hurt eyes. "Why third?"

"Because I can't see you doing all the reports of a lieutenant," she said sardonically. He uttered a sound of agreement. "Besides, third seat has a secondary job that I think you would really enjoy."

"If you say so."

He kissed her once more before getting up. He straightened himself out as a black butterfly began to flutter in through the window. They both rolled their eyes at it flew its way over to him.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fucking coming," he said as he shooed the insect away in irritation. He bent down and kissed Soi Fon again. "Well, I guess this is goodbye for now, captainess."

"For now," she responded seductively as she lay back on the bed.

"I'll see ya tonight."

Soi Fon closed her eyes with a smile and happily drifted off to sleep forgetting all about paperwork.

------------------------

_**Epilogue:**_

_**Letting the Cables Sleep**_

Grimmjow growled as he opened the door and stepped out into the cold night of Seireitei.

Captain-commander Unohana _really_ had themgo into detail about the mission in Hueco Mundo, asking him and Ulquiorra every question imaginable. Grimmjow had never assumed there would ever be so much to cover in one report.

Things would have gone a lot faster had Unohana asked Ulquiorra to take out _both _of his eyes.

It's not like they'd done much in their eight months in the hollow world, anyway. After Aizen had been killed, Unohana had been named Captain-commander within two weeks. And the first order she'd issued was that the former Espada Ulquiorra Schiffer and Grimmjow Jaggerjaques create and lead an extermination team. The Arrancar duo naturally chose Kira Izuru and Hisagi Shuuhei to join the group, and the two lieutenants had readily joined. Ayasegawa Yumichika had declined the offer, stating that his division, his friend, needed him. Fortunately, Kira had contacted Abarai Renji, who'd leapt at the chance to join.

_Las Noches _had been in shambles once they'd arrived, the hordes of Aizen's Arrancar having used these two weeks to pillage the giant castle. Ulquiorra accessed the computer systems of the palace, bringing up data files for the month's activity. It appeared that Stark and Halibel had vanished with their _fracción _long ago, while Barragan had taken it upon himself to occupy Aizen's throne room. And to Grimmjow's amazement, almost two dozen of the remaining _numeros _had stuck around to follow him.

It took seven months alone to fully invade _Las Noches_. And once they'd stormed the Espada pavilion, arriving under the fake sun in the center of the massive palace, there had been another month's worth of fighting. The twenty or so Arrancar that had taken up space in Barragan's legions fought with extreme vigor, attacking beyond the point of survival in many instances. Grimmjow remembered coming across Loly in the sand, her legs blown off by a _cero_, her skin pale with blood loss_._ But despite being on her death bed, she'd dragged herself across the desert floor in an attempt to stab him with her dagger-like zanpakuto.

He enjoyed finishing _her _off.

Astonishingly, it was Abarai Renji who landed the killing blow on the _Segundo _Espada. That was truly the only part of the report he'd enjoyed talking about. Watching as the red-haired lieutenant's snake-like _bankai_ pinned the old geezer down to the ground. Grimmjow had never expected to see Barragan Luisebarn plead for mercy with tears in his eyes. He'd always _wanted_ to see it, but he'd never expected to.

Fortunately, the tattooed shinigami had always been lacking in his clemency.

They'd rummaged through the remains of _Las Noches _in search of the _Hogyouku,_ but the five of them had been unable to find the small artifact. For all they knew, Stark or Halibel had taken it before they'd left. Grimmjow was still convinced that this was the reason their meeting with Unohana had lasted as long as it did; she was upset that they could not retrieve the invaluable item from Hueco Mundo and had punished them in a delightfully passive aggressive manor.

But he and Ulquiorra were out now, even if it had been an agonizingly long eight hour ordeal.

The two of them walked silently through the streets of Seireitei, their hands in their pockets as they strode through the frigid air of their new home. He and the green eyed Arrancar beside him had bonded over the past year, even if it was a friendship that neither would vocally acknowledge. Or physically express, for that matter. But the silent sentiment still remained between the two former hollows; they'd seen the worst of the afterlife together and they'd risen to the best together.

"I don't remember it being this fuckin' cold here last year." Grimmjow said, eloquently interrupting the silence.

"Unlike Hueco Mundo, Seireitei has _seasons._" Ulquiorra said, his face maintaining its still composure despite the biting sarcasm displayed in his voice.

"I know that, you jackass," Grimmjow snapped back. "I'm not retarded. I meant it wasn't this cold here _at the same time _last year."

"Weather patterns?"

Grimmjow simply smiled. Ulquiorra Schiffer had grown a sense of humor in the past year. It manifested itself mostly in dry sarcasm, but it was better than nothing. At least the green eyed man smiled now, even if it was rarely. It wasn't much, but it was a start.

Ulquiorra stopped suddenly, Grimmjow walking ahead a few steps before turning around and shooting his companion a questioning look.

"I believe I should visit Orihime," he said casually.

"Oh _should _you now?" Grimmjow said with a smirk. "And why exactly would that be?"

"Because," he said without mirroring his companion's humor, "she can heal my eye faster than I can."

Grimmjow was so used to Ulquiorra tearing his eyeball out that he hadn't really noticed the empty eye socket that had replaced his friend's green eye. Or the trails of scarlet blood that ran from it, almost dried with the passing of time. Still, he wasn't about to pass up the opportunity before him.

"I'm _sure_ that's the only reason," he said sarcastically. "I wouldn't imagine any other reason for you to go to the transient world."

Ulquiorra touched his finger to the air in front of him, causing a _garganta _to tear open with a guttural rip. He turned and stepped into it wordlessly, the jagged split in the sky beginning to close up before him.

"Certainly not," he said with a brief smile, "for the same reason you'll be sleeping at the second division this evening."

Grimmjow chuckled as the hole in existence closed around Ulquiorra; the little green-eyed fucker had to always get the last word in. He turned a corner and was soon at his destination. He slid the door in front of him open, the warm light of the room pouring out in a warm yellow that contrasted with the cold white streets of Seireitei.

Grimmjow stepped into the small bar, smiling as Hisagi met him at the door with a beer.

"Shit, Grimmjow," his shinigami companion said as they walked through the room to the rest of the group in the back of the building. "I didn't think you'd be _this _late."

"What can I say?" he responded after swigging from the bottle Hisagi had handed him. "Ol' Unohana was very intent on keepin' us there. Just be glad you fuckers didn't have to be there too."

Hisagi laughed and strode over to bar, standing next to Lieutenant Ise as Grimmjow slid deeper into the bar. Renji had come up with the idea of "_getting fucking trashed tonight_" as they'd reentered Soul Society. Naturally, the party had been very inclined to agree with him. Ulquiorra had remained silent, however, for reasons the pale-skinned Arrancar had just revealed to Grimmjow. Regardless, Renji had quickly promised to set something up.

Grimmjow had just never assumed the tattooed lieutenant was inviting _everyone_ to the fucking bar.

He raised his bottle as he passed by a round table. Yumichika raised up his small glass of whiskey as he passed, the white of his lieutenant's armband sticking out in sharp contrast with the dark uniform. Yumichika quickly dodged as the entire neck of a beer bottle went flying at his face, his bald captain laughing heartily as he used his spear to try the move on another bottle.

Grimmjow passed another table, Hitsugaya smiling lightly as his brown-haired lieutenant sat next to him looking nervous. The small girl had once been Aizen's lieutenant, but had decided to become Hitsugaya's, claiming that she was uncomfortable remaining in the fifth division. Grimmjow just thought she was uncomfortable _anywhere_. She certainly looked it.

Across from them Renji was sitting next to Kuchiki Rukia, both of them smiling politely as he passed them. Grimmjow would always feel weird around that girl; the first time he'd ever seen her, he'd stabbed her in the stomach. But if he'd learned anything during his time with Soul Society, it was that they were a very forgiving bunch. He also felt a tad odd for another reason entirely; knowing that she'd tried to fuck Yumichika, he'd always wanted to laugh when she was around. Abarai not noticing the glances she was shooting towards the eleventh division lieutenant made it all the more funny.

Kira and that odd girl from the twelfth division were sitting at a small table for two near the far wall. Grimmjow entertained the idea of walking over to them, but Kira looked perfectly content as he leaned across the table and kissed the strange woman. The kiss deepened, further dissuading him from talking to the duo.

Eventually Grimmjow made it to the last table, sitting down at the furthest table from the entrance. He looked across the small table and smirked, Soi Fon returning the look as she slid her foot across the distance between them and rubbed his leg under the table.

"Grimmjow!" Urahara's voice sang out from next to him. "I was beginning to think you weren't ever going to make it!"

"And I was beginning to hope that Unohana was going to change her mind about letting you back in this place," Grimmjow said as he grabbed the man's hand and shook it heartily. Yoruichi laughed next to Soi Fon as Kisuke sported an exaggerated frown.

"I'd still get to come on the weekends, right?"

They all laughed and drank into the night, the entire group enjoying the peace that they'd helped return to Soul Society. The Gotei 13 rarely had moments of true joy, of true happiness. And it would seem that the people in this bar were more than ready to welcome the respite they'd ushered in with their own sweat and blood. Even when Kira and Nemu left the group unannounced, they felt whole. Even when Hisagi left with a wink, his arm slung around the inebriated Ise Nanao, they felt like a family. Even when Ikkaku and Yumichika were thrown out of the bar for attempting to play darts with broken glass, they felt happy.

Grimmjow stepped out into the cold night air of Seireitei, waving goodbye to Hitsugaya and Urahara as the snowflakes began to settle on the ground. Soi Fon slid her arms around his waist with a small chattering of her teeth, and he returned the affection with one arm over her shoulders. They walked silently to the second division together, Grimmjow looking up at beautiful night sky of Soul Society the whole way.

He'd always wanted things to end under the stars.

---------------------------

_**author's note**_

_there it was, the happy ending that you never thought was gonna happen. i somehow managed NOT to kill everyone!_

_anyhoo, real final a/n on the next page. shout outs and soundtrack are there too. give it a peek._

_jta~!_

_**a warm place - nine inch nails**_

_**letting the cables sleep - bush**_


	28. AN

**_Final Author's Note_**

_Well, that's that kiddies. What started out as a dare turned into a story I actually had a blast writing. And of course, one that I hope you all had just as much fun reading. Hard to believe it only took me three months, but hey. I got snowed in a couple of chapters. I certainly had the time to type._

_Some people have asked me if I was planning on doing a sequel. I've been thinking about it, but I'm still about fifty/fifty on that idea. I mean, I haven't even brought the Vizards in yet… so it's up in the air at the moment. Feel free to demand one if you want one. Lord knows I like to make youse guys happy. (Except for letting Hinamori live… I know some of you weren't happy about that one. Whatever, I think she's cute little ding-bat.)_

_Major shout-outs goin down here. While I've thoroughly enjoyed every review I've received, some of you went above and beyond; reviewing every chapter, giving really great feedback. You know, the works. If I didn't mention your name here, it's nothing personal. These cats are just that much cooler than you:_

**_rai-kata reese _**_(for always making me laugh.)_

**_ron CN _**_(for ALWAYS reviewing.)_

**_observer01 _**_(every chapter, man.)_

**_libello _**_(threatened me with a frying pan; good enough for me.)_

**_enchantable _**_(she's got some killer stories of her own. check em out.)_

**_catalin yonescu _**_(she's disappeared lately, but her reviews have always been great.)_

**_black storm van pendragon _**_(for the killer art.)_

**_lackasexical _**_(for the killer sig banner.)_

**_fourwalls _**_(can always bring a smile to my face.)_

**_del march _**_(her ikkaku and yumi stories are fantastic. read em.)_

**_cherise75 _**_(over at DA; she is one funny lady!)_

_Anyways, I guess this is the end. Thanks for reading and I hope to see you in the next one._

_**JasoTheArtisan**_

* * *

**_Soundtrack:_**

**_Ars Moriendi- _**_Mr. Bungle- California_

**_Waves of Blood- _**_Secret Chiefs 3- Second Grand Constitution and Bylaws_

**_Delìrivm Còrdia- _**_Fantômas- Delìrivm Còrdia_

**_A Different Drum- _**_Peter Gabriel- Passion_

**_The Augurs of Spring- _**_Igor Stravinsky- The Rite of Spring_

**_Beneath the Surface- _**_Vigilante- Kong in Concert_

**_Crépuscule_****_– _**_Kaada/Patton- Romances_

**_Ghosts I-IV_**_- Nine Inch Nails- Ghosts I-IV_

**_Chemical Marriage_**_- Mr. Bungle- Disco Volante_

**_Ashes to Ashes_**_- David Bowie- Scary Monsters_

**_Malocchio_**_- Tomahawk- Tomahawk_

**_Valse Triste_**_- Jean Sibelius- Kuolema_

**_We Are the Righteous_**_- Tub Ring- Zoo Hypothesis_

**_Balance of the 19_**_- Ishraqiyun- Balance of the 19/The Left Hand of Nothingness_

**_The Gentle Art of Making Enemies_**_- Faith No More- King for a Day, Fool for a Lifetime_

**_Bring Back the Apocalypse_**_- Sleepytime Gorilla Museum- Of Natural History_

**_Circumambulation_**_- UR- Circumambulation/Labirynth of Light_

**_Dolorous Stroke_**_- Secret Chiefs 3- Book M_

**_The Left Hand of Nothingess_**_- The Electromagnetic Azoth- Balance of the 19/The Left Hand of Nothingness_

**_Jungle Warfare_**_- Estradasphere- Quadropus_

**_Vajra_**_- Secret Chiefs 3- Book M_

**_Zulfiqar_****_III_**_- Secret Chiefs 3- Book M_

**_Hold On, Be Strong_**_- Outkast- Aquemini_

**_Gethsemane_**_- Peter Gabriel- Passion_

**_Exterminating Angel_**_- Holy Vehm- Book of Horizons_

**_Balberith_**_- Trey Spruance/John Zorn- Xaphan_

**_Nocturne no. 15 in F#, op.55 no.1_**_- Frederic Chopin- The Nocturnes_

**_Sonata no.14 in c#, op.27 no.2_**_- Ludwig von Beethoven- Moonlight Sonata_

**_¡_****_Vaqueros y Indios!_**_- General Patton v. The X-Ecutioners- General Patton v. The X-Ecutioners_

**_Champion Requiem_**_- Mos Def- The New Danger_

**_Six Shooter_**_- Queens of the Stone Age- Songs for the Deaf_

**_Soldier_**_- Eminem- The Eminem Show_

**_Follow the Light_**_- Outkast & Goodie Mob- Even in Darkness_

**_The Knife_**_- Genesis- Trespass_

**_Sledgehammer_**_- Peter Babriel- So_

**_The Stone_**_- Dave Matthews Band- Before These Crowded Streets_

**_Lifeboat_**_- Lovage- Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By_

**_A Warm Place_**_- Nine Inch Nails- The Downward Spiral_

**_Letting the Cables Sleep_**_- Bush- The Science of Things_


	29. Sequel Notice

_**Real quick now.**_

_I've decided to do a sequel after all. And after a snow day, I've decided to start (and finish) the first chapter! Just posted it up, check it out:_

_**Anonymous**_

_Sequel to "So". Years after Aizen's death, the Vizards have resurfaced, asking Soul Society for assistance in the real world. But when Arrancar begin to appear, the Gotei 13 will travel to Hueco Mundo in hopes that Aizen's army hasn't rebuilt itself._


End file.
